ImproMafia presents a night of murder, mystery, and improvised comedy in the depths of the Spring Hill Reservoir in Brisbane.
Daytime television is rife for parody. Shows such as ‘Ms Marple’, ‘Midsomer Murders’, and ‘A Touch Of Frost’ are filled with bad plotting, poor dialogue, and wooden acting from soon-to-be-stars (fun fact: ‘The Bill’ featured an early appearance from Russell Brand). The programs many baby-boomers enjoy (possibly bookended with a nap) have many flaws which make the murders depicted appear less serious than they should be. Taking the trash of English murder mystery shows as cues, ImproMafia have crafted a hilarious piece of theatre in ‘Murder Village’.
Set after World War Two, the premise of ‘Murder Village’ follows a detective and a local busy-body as they try to solve the latest murder to occur in the village (they assure us 'Murder Village' is just a name, but there also happen to be a high number of murders – they inform us there have been five in the last week).
As audiences file in, they’re handed a slip of paper; filling in details on which character they’d like to see murdered, who is the murder, the weapon, and a clue. From there, the cast create an entire performance, with the first half showing the story and conflicts that arise leading up to the murder, and the second dedicated to interviewing the suspects to determine who the culprit is. What’s just as interesting is the busy-body character, Ms Purcell, never ventures backstage with the rest of the cast – instead sitting amongst the audience for the entire show. This means the detective work performed by Ms Purcell is authentic, and even more impressive.
The characters in the show are just as cleverly designed; taking on stock-characters featured in the shows they’re parodying. Featured are an annoying girl guide, a gluttonous vicar, a dim gravedigger, a stern former-general-now-horse-trainer, a cheeky paperboy, and an alcoholic taxidermist. Each of these characters' traits are dialled up to ten, but never losing the attention to detail the cast have put in.
Just as impressive is the chemistry among the cast. Each of the scenes flow incredibly well, filled with hilarious dialogue, but without ever forgetting the story. No cast member ever feels unnecessary, with each having amazing moments of their own. Whether it be the anachronistic reference to a viral video about badgers, the daring slapstick (quite literally, when a riding stock is turned into a nipple-torture interrogation tool), or hilarious exchanges, such as one about how a character accidentally got “caught up” in fascism, everyone got a chance to shine. The improvisational skills of the cast made the show appear much more rehearsed than advertised; showing that their undoubtable onstage skills and meticulous planning backstage was of professional quality.
‘Murder Village’ is a hilarious show, and just as delightful as the shows pensioners are so fond of.
The best summary could actually come from the show itself (not only are they great performers, but they're also great reviewers): “We shouldn’t be enjoying murder so much.” Well, it’s difficult not to enjoy it with the townsfolk of ‘Murder Village’.
