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★★★★
The 1920s, trains and murder are the themes of Pinch Punch Improv’s interactive murder mystery ‘Locomotive for Murder: The Improvised Whodunnit’, which is currently playing at Gilded Balloon as part of the Edinburgh Fringe. The improvisational comedy features a cast of five, led by fictional detective Hugh Dunnit, and in the show the audience gets to decide who committed the murder. Transporting audiences back to the roaring decade, no version of the show is ever the same, with the group taking prompts from the audience at the beginning and also many times during the performance, constantly evolving the storyline based on spectator contributions.
An interactive comedy experience
Attending Pinch Punch Improv’s show can be likened to being immersed in their zany, comedy world from the minute you walk into the Other Yin venue. With seating surrounding the stage, the audience is led to their seats with a crackling 1920s soundtrack playing in the background and they are welcomed in by none other than the group’s legendary detective himself. The company has clearly considered the overall theatrical experience as part of the conception of the show and by creating a welcoming atmosphere and evoking the spirit of the decade straight away, it puts the audience at ease for making some really fun suggestions. 2024 is the year that I have been really thrown into improvisation as a genre and the audience ideas at yesterday’s performance were so detailed. It was brilliant to witness the fast thinking of the performers, as they navigated the contributions and brought them into the storyline.
Balancing excitement and delivery
If it was just based on enjoyment factor, the production would be a solid 5 stars, but the structure is arguably overly ambitious, asking the audience to contribute too many suggestions. Things go off the rails as a result and the murder mystery side of things becomes heavily weighted towards the end of the runtime. Appreciating that the company leans into the comedic chaos, using it as an opportunity to include more off-the-cuff humour, fortunately the ambition does not impact the performance too much. The atmosphere was electric at Gilded Balloon during the show, with ‘Locomotive for Murder’ proving to be a huge crowd pleaser.
High energy 1920s-themed improvisation
The relaxed and interactive format makes the production a feel-good addition to any Edinburgh Fringe schedule. The 1920s theme, including era-appropriate costumes and the dynamic train set, also gives the production a whole different feel and ambience, with Hugh Dunnit taking audiences away from Edinburgh to an unknown destination in the past. ‘Locomotive for Murder: The Improvised Whodunnit’ can be found at Gilded Balloon Patter House – Other Yin until 26th August (excluding 14th). Performances start at 15:00 and tickets can be purchased via the festival website. If you are looking for a hilarious comedy show that will please the whole family, look no further than Pinch Punch Improv.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
*My ticket for ‘Locomotive for Murder: The Improvised Whodunnit’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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