Laughs and shocks in a dark new crime comedy

REVIEW: 'Murder at Midnight' at New Theatre, Cardiff

It's New Year's Eve in the fancy Kent home of one-eyed gangster, pig farmer, and Robbie Williams fanatic, Jonny 'The Cyclops' Drinkwater.

Jonny (played by TV and stage favourite Jason Durr) also owns seven angry Rottweilers and can get angry himself. When he does, those who get in his way may find themselves murdered, chopped up, and fed to the pigs.

So, when he arrives home unexpectedly, just as his girlfriend (Katie McGlynn) has returned from a party with a new lover (Max Bowden as an incompetent undercover cop, disguised as a priest) trouble seems inevitable.

When you add to the mix, Jonny's dotty old mum (Susie Blake) with her demonic visions, tarot cards, and history of violence, his emotionally unstable sidekick (Peter Moreton), and a nervous armed burglar in a clown mask (Callum Balmforth), you can tell the big night is not going to end well.

In fact, we know this for certain because the play opens with the house as a crime scene - there have been grisly deaths, but we don't know whose.

The action then rewinds a few hours, and we see how events unravel, and who doesn't make it to dawn.

It's a clever theatrical device, which keeps the audience guessing to the end - you feel almost anyone could kill anyone, given the hostile atmosphere, emotional fragility, and abundance of weapons at their disposal, from a cleaver to a crossbow, from a kitchen knife to a choice of handguns. Not to mention those angry dogs.

Murder at Midnight, which opened at the New Theatre last night (Tuesday 4 November) is the latest offering from Original Theatre, celebrating its 20th anniversary, and from writer Torben Betts following his success with Murder in the Dark last year.

This time, however, despite its subject matter, it's played for laughs. Yes, surprisingly, this is a comedy - of the very dark kind. It is often genuinely funny, but too often it isn't. I pitied the talented actors who had to deliver the ancient gag: "Somebody call me an ambulance!" "I'll do it - 'you're an ambulance'."

But generally it's much better than that. The set design by Colin Falconer is a real highlight, and director Philip Franks keeps the action moving at the necessary speed for this kind of show.

The cast are all excellent too, and as well as those already mentioned, credit goes to Iryna Poplavska, Bella Farr, and Andy McLeod.

The dialogue is fast-paced, so timing has to be spot-on, and it is.

This is a very entertaining play with some laugh-out-loud moments, excellent performances, and genuine shocks. One for lovers of crime mysteries, broad comedy, and near-Tarantinoesque levels of comic violence.

Murder at Midnight continues at the New Theatre until Saturday (8 November). There's age guidance of 14+ because of the violence, language, and drug use. You can find out more and order tickets online here or from the box office on 0343 310 0041.

Review by Andy Weltch

Photos by Pamela Raith

We received free tickets for this performance in exchange for an honest review