Douglas Walker Archives - The Real Chrisparkle

Degrees of Error have been developing their Murder She Didn’t Write improvisation show for over 13 years now, and as well as their regular stint at the Edinburgh Fringe, are currently touring the UK – with a four night residence at Northampton’s Royal and Derngate. A team of fifteen or so actors mix and match their appearances, so if you see the show more than once, not only will it be a completely different story, it could well be a very different cast.

And if you’re an aficionado of the Art of Improv, you might well want to see it again because they’re true experts in the field. Company co-developer and co-founder Lizzy Skrzypiec introduces the show in her guise as Detective Agatha Crusty – of all the assets this show has, intellectual subtlety perhaps isn’t its raison d’être – and explains that a murder will be committed on stage and that it’s up to us to choose the occasion on which it will happen and identify a central clue vital to solving the case. The merry audience at the Royal chose a Cushion Conference – something everyone knows something about (not) – and a Pet Rock. Detective Crusty also sought an “event” that would be involved, and someone piped up with the word “dentist”, which is more of a profession than an event, but they ran with it.

Thus ensued The Case of the Pointy Pet Rock, where William, the pet rock belonging to suspect Vernon Blue (Stephen Clements), was found stuffed in the mouth of the very dead victim Graham Green (Peter Baker), thereby suffocating them; but was it a rock plant to incriminate Blue? Might it have been Violet Blue (Sylvia Bishop), or newlyweds Roger and Bernadette Red (Douglas Walker and Rachael Procter-Lane) who were to blame? All would be revealed by the end of the show. Both Mrs Chrisparkle and I thought it was Violet. She looked shifty from the start and wasn’t convincing anyone with her predilection for recreational dentistry. Added to the fact that this all took place at the Kettering Cushion Conference Centre, her alibi was looking weak.

I’m not a natural Improv-goer; sometimes I find it descends too much into silliness and repetitiveness. However, Murder She Didn’t Write ticks all the boxes for a very funny night of unpredictable mayhem. The training and practice required by the cast to keep their minds fresh and inventive to cope with whatever the audience – and more likely, other cast members – throw at them must be immense. There were some extremely funny scenes – I loved Ms Procter-Lane in convulsions of pleasure exploring the cushioning of the chaise longue – and the way in which they show how each of the suspects had a motive for killing poor Graham is extremely inventive and entertaining. And huge plaudits to Peter Baker for their tremendous physical comedy as a dead body sliding off a chair into a mini heap on the floor.

Enormous fun, incredibly skilful and hugely creative, this touring version of the show runs to two hours including an interval, whilst the Edinburgh Fringe version lasts 70 minutes. No two shows will be the same and it’s perfect for anyone who likes a combination of whodunit, comedy and hilarious campy nonsense. Running at the Royal and Derngate until Thursday, but then off on its travels again, including a full four weeks in Edinburgh at the Assembly George Square. Irresistible!

Production photos by Pamela Raith

Four They’re Jolly Good Fellows!

Just four shows will be enough for our first day – which means our last show of the day is Douglas Walker: Zuschauer, at the Underbelly, George Square (The Wee Coo) at 22:40 on Saturday 19th. This is how it’s described on the website: “Can the audience change a show just by watching it? Douglas invites you to find out, by watching his latest concatenation of mind-searing comic absurdities. Then watching it again, but differently. Zuschauer is a very silly exploration of what an audience brings to a show. Not what they literally bring, although any spare crockery you don’t need would really help. There’s more to watching comedy than sitting in the dark; it’s a big responsibility. Who watches the watchers? ‘Too clever for its own good’ (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘Bold and thought-provoking’ **** (List). Best Comedy Award Adelaide Fringe 2016.”

This sounds like it will deconstruct what makes a comedy stand-up experience, and judging from what I’ve read about Mr Walker’s previous fringe shows, I think this will turn the show on its head. Always love a challenge! And it’s always exciting to see someone new, and I’ve never heard of Mr Walker before, so I have high hopes. It’s all over by 11.40 pm, so check back shortly afterwards and see my initial feedback as to how much we enjoyed it. By then the next preview blog, for tomorrow morning’s first show, should be available to read too.

Yes that was very nicely subversive! A series of sketches and songs, with a running story about someone receiving money by post out of the blue. It all weaves together smartly and I found it very funny. Some parts were thoroughly surreal! I enjoyed Mr Walker’s characterisations and the considerable variety of content that went into that show. Nice one!