Edinburgh Fringe 2023
Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder
Francesca Moody Productions, Kater Gordon, Wessex Grove, Fiery Angel,
Genre: Musical Theatre
Venue: Underbelly
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
This 90 minute musical is filled with joyous routines, great characters, solid singing accompanied by a terrific musicians, and creative staging. It is fun for the whole family.
Review
Kathy and Stella are two young girls who host a podcast from their garage, all about murders. It is a fun venture for them, over the objections of their parents. Little did they know that they were about to embark on a journey to solve a real murder. They do it with hilarity and song.
Kathy and Stella are the best of friends. In “Without You I Would Die”, they sing about their friendship. Everything is going well with their podcast until… Felicia Taylor is murdered! She is their favourite author, who was launching her own true crime podcast. And Kathy and Stella are murder suspects. In “Part of the Story” they sing about possibly holding the keys to solving the case.
They are on the case. They go under cover to catch the perpetrator. “If I Did It” song frames the investigation of a potential criminal. The police try to stop the fearless duo, but they are relentless in their pursuit of justice for Felicia. They solve the crime and become famous, with legions of fans sending them letters. But do they have the right killer? You have to see the show to know the answer to that question.
This 90 minute musical is filled with joyous routines, great characters, solid singing accompanied by four terrific musicians, effective lighting and creative staging. It is part clown, part physical theatre, and part musical performance, all woven together to create a non-stop, high energy audience experience. The songs are very clever and handily advance the story line. The songwriting is, in parts, reminiscent of “Wicked” and its interplay between the two female character leads. Overall, the show is a heartwarming story about friendship and creative problem-solving. It is very well paced and fun for the whole family.
Bronté Barbé as Kathy and Rebekah Hinds as Stella really carry the show. Not only are they top notch singers, but they have mastered comic timing, both in the delivery of their lines and in the physical comedy. Ensemble actors Imelda Warren-Green, Jodie Jacobs, and TJ Lloyd easily switch between their various parts with quick costume and character changes. The show was written by Jon Brittain (Rotterdam) and Matthew Floyd Jones (Frisky & Mannish)
