Review: The Murderer

Following on from the success of Mr Poe’s Legendarium in 2015, Warwick theatre group Clown Funeral, two-time winners of the Clive Barker award for Performance, takes to the Fringe for the second year running, this time with an adaptation of Luke Kennard’s poem The Murderer.

The poem is a dark and thought-provoking reflection on how society treats those newly released from a long sentence in jail, and this forms the basis for Clown Funeral’s intense moral exploration of the theme.

A rolling cast of talented Warwick student actors took on the roles of Murderer, Carer and a multi-faceted Everyone Else role, with these positions being occupied by Ella Tebay, Patrick Tobin and Freddie Paul respectively on the evening I attended. I sprang out at them after the show finished.

Clown Funeral embark on an intense moral exploration of how society treats those newly released from a long sentence in jail.

“Hi! I also study at Warwick! I’m from the Boar.”

They reeled back in surprise, laughing. “The press is everywhere!”

The set consisted of three moving doorframes which were whirled around the stage occasionally to represent various buildings and frames of mind, allowing the audience to envision the scene using just a hint of imagination.

Costume was minimal, as were the stage effects; no smoke machines, confetti or strobe lighting. But the play was not intended to be garish and exciting, rather a deeply psychological snapshot of theatre leaving the audience with a lasting question of morality – how should we treat criminals when their sentence is served? The portrayal of the Carer was almost harrowing in their pernicious treatment of the Murderer, and it was the subtle degradation of the pair’s initially promising relationship which impacted upon the audience throughout.

The play was not intended to be garish and exciting; it was a deeply psychological snapshot of theatre.

My only issue is the accessibility of the play; as an enjoyer of literature and theatre in general I like reading into the actions of the characters and the threadbare set, but this interest is not shared by everyone. The production’s motto of “brain frazzled, not eyes dazzled” was an accurate one – but ultimately, the weight of the subject matter and quality of the performance was enthralling.

However it is the weighty subject matter which redeems the performance and sets it apart from the rest.

The Murderer runs until August 29th at ZOO Southside (Venue 82), Edinburgh, 6pm.