Step Behind The Stage
Murder, She Didn't Write
The Arts Theatre, Cambridge - 31/01/26
Review by Daniel Marshall
The best part of any whodunnit is trying to work out exactly who committed the crime. Murder, She Didn’t Write flips that joy on its head, because not only does the audience not know who did it, neither does the cast. In fact, at the start of the night they do not even know where the murder will take place, who might be involved or how it will happen. That sense of complete uncertainty is the magic behind this fully improvised murder mystery, which has grown from a Fringe favourite into one of the UK’s most loved comedy shows.
The evening is guided by our detective host Agatha Crusty, who immediately sets the tone through warm, playful audience participation. Normally a guaranteed way to make me sink into my seat, this interaction is instead genuinely joyful and completely disarming. The crowd is quickly on side as suggestions are gathered to shape the case, from the event where the murder will occur to the suspicious item that will eventually become the weapon. During this section of audience involvement a deerstalker hat was thrown into the crowd to select Agatha’s assistant, Jerkins, a master of disguise whose appearance conveniently changes every night.
With the groundwork laid through the audience suggestions it was up to Jerkins to decide on the final picks which led to the creation of “The Case of the One Eyed Hamster”, a murder set at a fashion show and carried out, somehow, by a hamster with a single eye. From there, the cast launched into creating an entire world from scratch.
Characters emerged quickly, each one being amusingly inspired by the unselected audience suggestions. Scenes flowed in varying lengths, some allowing space for characters to develop and others existing purely for a quick comic beat, but all building the story piece by piece. Agatha remained seated to the side of the stage, scribbling notes like a true detective, regularly interrupting the action with a cry of “Ah Jerkins” to throw in a new detail that the cast then had to immediately absorb. Each interruption raised the stakes and the laughs in equal measure.
At the centre of the chaos was Ann Summer, an internationally renowned fashion designer, married to the deeply miserable and unsuccessful playwright Lucian. Their family dynamic expanded further with the arrival of Juliet, a seamstress niece and one of twelve sisters still alive. It also emerged that three more sisters had already met tragic ends, with Agatha repeatedly demanding that each of them be named. The suspects were rounded out by Vladimir, an aristocratic entrepreneur from Transylvania who had swapped Dracula’s castle for the fashion world, and Patsy, a former model turned pie maker desperate for a return to the stage.
As the first act unfolded, the chemistry between the cast was effortless. They bounced off one another with the ease of a well-rehearsed comedy despite creating everything on the spot. A handful of simple props transformed the minimal set as needed, but it was the performers’ quick thinking and sharp instincts that truly brought the scenes to life. It felt loose, playful and completely fearless.
Every murder mystery needs a victim and just before the interval Jerkins placed a coloured card, matching the characters’ costumes, into a wallet to determine who would meet their end. Agatha revealed the choice and the first act closed with the dramatic death of Ann Summer.
The second act opened with the remaining characters discovering Ann’s body, found with the now named one-eyed hamster, Elizabeth, in her mouth and a striking piece of fabric draped across her face. Jerkins was then called upon once more to secretly choose the murderer, leaving the audience to piece together the truth alongside the cast.
What followed was a series of increasingly ridiculous and brilliantly executed scenes, including individual flashbacks for each suspect that laid out potential motives. Clever lighting shifts guided us smoothly into these moments, ensuring Ann’s performer was never left without a role despite her character’s demise. Each flashback added another layer to the tangled web of relationships and grudges, pushing the story towards its chaotic conclusion.
Eventually Agatha made her grand entrance back into the fashion show to reveal the culprit. In classic detective fashion, she carefully recapped each character, highlighting both their motivations and the wonderfully strange traits that had emerged throughout the night. The killer was unmasked and the show concluded with a hysterical reenactment of Ann’s murder, involving a seamstress, a compliant hamster and instructions delivered in Transylvanian.
Murder, She Didn’t Write is exactly as chaotic as it sounds, yet somehow it never loses control. The cast’s talent keeps everything moving forward even when the story threatens to spiral. By the end of the night the laughter was constant, with performers and audience alike struggling to keep straight faces. It is joyous, deeply impressive and endlessly entertaining, offering the intrigue of a classic whodunnit alongside the unpredictability of truly great comedy. No matter what you go to the theatre for, this is a night that delivers everything.