Music & book by Joe Kinosian, lyrics & book by Kellen Blair. Riverside Parramatta. 9-10 Aug, 2024.
After knocking us dead last year at Hayes, Murder For Two gets a short, sharp run at Riverside Parramatta. Maverick Newman and Gabbi Bolt are back with a bigger set, and a million characters to bring to life.
In the home of Great American Novelist Arthur Whitney, a surprise party is waiting to kick off. Dahlia Whitney (Maverick Newman) is trying to get her party full of people into their hiding places before Arthur arrives. The group consists of Barrette Lewis (Maverick Newman), prima ballerina, Dr. Griff (Maverick Newman), the local psychiatrist, Whitney’s niece Stef (Maverick Newman) and old neighbours Murray and Barb Flandon (played by Maverick Newman & Maverick Newman) and more. When Whitney is shot as he enters the party, police officer / wannabe Detective Marcus Moscowicz (Gabbi Bolt) sees his chance to prove he’s up to the task.
What else can I say? I love this show. It’s young, scrappy and hungry and it’s not giving away its shot… sorry, I saw Hamilton this week too. Maverick Newman’s character work is as sharp as ever, playing a dozen different roles at the same time, and getting a laugh with each and every movement. A perfect physical comedy performance. No, I take that back, it’s a dozen perfect physical comedy performances all at once.
Gabbi Bolt is no slouch either. Delivering the bulk of the exposition and forming the core of the story, this is no mere “straight man” role. Bolt’s comedy is less physical but the timing and delivery are just as precise. I need to keep an eye out for her stand-up dates.
Joe Kinosian & Kellen Blair’s show is a cornucopia of silliness filled with slow burn gags as well as ridiculous one-liners. The songs are all great musical theatre comedy numbers that set the performers up for success. At just over 90 minutes, the show never overstays its welcome. In fact, the jokes come so thick and so fast you’ll barely notice the time fly.
Last time I reviewed the show I slightly glossed over the work of director Richard Carroll, which was an oversight. Murder For Two works at such a breakneck pace, I didn’t pause to think about how precise the timing is, or how every pause is filled with micro-moments of humour. It comes from a deep knowledge of musical theatre and quick-witted comedy. The fourth wall breaks feel organic, and the choreography by Shannon Burns, manages to get Maverick Newman into a variety of new positions without feeling like he’s moving from mark to mark. The Chicago-inspired lunacy of the flashback was especially funny having just rewatched the classic.
On a side note, it was interesting to see this play out in the much larger Riverside Parramatta space, which dwarfs the Hayes’ intimacy. I was worried the room would be a bit cold for this farce, but thankfully the laughter filled the room very quickly and didn’t stop. This run at Riverside Parramatta is far too short, but I’m just grateful the show has returned, giving more people a chance to see it.
Cultural Binge 
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