Fringe review: Great Detectives – Heist, Camera, Action!
Private eyes Candy Matson and Johnny Dollar return in a fast-talking, 1950s radio-style mystery. ★★★
Holmes and Watson, The Scooby-Doo Gang, Dick Tracy: some of the greatest mystery-solvers of all time, yet none of them can prepare audiences for this murder-magnet duo. Yes, private investigators Candy Matson and Johnny Dollar are back on the case and back on the stage and the stakes are well and truly high in this latest Great Detectives instalment from Preachrs Productions. This time, they’re going live on-air in a 1950s radio-style format, with nothing but a microphone and script in hand. Their unconventional methods and eccentric natures evoke our fondness for classic Hollywood noir films and cartoon sleuths through amusing antics, witty dialogue and animated physicality. Great Detectives: Heist, Camera, Action! makes an enthralling interactive experience, leaving no doubt that murder and mystery are afoot.
There’s nowhere for criminals to escape in the extravagant Ayers House State Dining Room, and the venue’s appropriate ambience helps transport us right to the scene of the crime. Unveiling two new standalone mysteries, we find Matson and Dollar in San Francisco when a body or two turns up. Surprises galore follow, in a more-than-meets-the-eye set-up.
With a long roll call of suspects and only one costume, the absence of props or visual cues means it’s a challenge to keep up with the change of characters and story progression. However, it’s clear that Matson and Dollar have entered the hearts of their audience in their 12th year at the Fringe. Filled with puns, charm, poise and comedy, Great Detectives: Heist, Camera, Action! captivates young and old. Come for an evening filled with investigations, indictments and impromptu laughs. Case closed.
Great Detectives: Heist, Camera, Action! is playing at Ayers House from February 4 – 14
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