Death Comes at the End
Nothing spoils an evening faster than … murder!
Death Comes at the End is an improvised theatre show which relies on audience participation to shape the characters’ personalities and eventually uncover the murderer.
The performance is unscripted. Actors are given their roles (inspired by the characters of Cluedo) at the start of the show and, from there, they enact a series of scenes taking place before and after the murder, revealing subtle clues as they go.
On the night InDaily attended, Joshua Kapitza was hilarious as Mrs Peacock, a high-society woman with an unfortunate lisp (courtesy of an imaginative audience member), and his boundless energy led to many comedic moments. Anne Mayer brought a touch of the old south to her role as Miss Scarlet, a vixen with an unsettling fetish for potatoes, while Jarrad Parker took a disturbingly weird approach to his character, Professor Plum.
Noah Tavor was enjoyable as Colonel Mustard, while Catherine Crowley starred as the morally questionable Reverend Green. Kendra Pratt showed her versatility, playing a number of minor roles (including a disembodied head), while Kirsty Wigg rounded off the cast as Tupperware aficionado Mrs White.
The cast appeared completely at ease on stage and their imaginations, quick thinking and ability to adapt enabled them to take the show (and their characters) to some weird and wonderful places.
However, the Ayers House State Dining Room, while beautiful, is not an ideal venue for a show such as this. The audience is bunched together around the small stage and, unless you are in the front row, the view of the characters is often limited.
The improvised nature of the show and a rotating cast list means that no two performances will be the same, with each experience depending largely on the creativity of the audience. It wasn’t entirely what this reviewer expected, but was very enjoyable nonetheless.
Death Comes at the End is showing at Ayers House Museum – State Dining Room until February 28.
