The August Culture Review

Once a month, we bring together reviews of Medway’s cultural highlights in a single round-up, produced exclusively for our paid supporters. This month, our team of intrepid cultural reviewers present theatre, talks, books, food, and drink from across our towns...

Murder For Breakfast
Tracie’s Cafe, Brompton, 26 Jul

Tracie’s Cafe in Brompton was given a 1980s makeover for this fun, 30 minute interactive comedy murder mystery.

Each table was equipped with vinyl LPs and chalk markers for noting down clues, and I soon overcame my feelings of outrage at the sacrilege of defacing Dana with my jottings. Seated around the cafe’s tables, we were encouraged to meet new people and share our ideas as the key suspects in the murder of Dr Blackpudding were introduced and questioned by Sergeant Egg (Adam Rhys-Davies) and DI Chips (Nic Lamont). Taking it in turns to play each of the main suspects, in a series of outlandish wigs, Rhys-Davies and Lamont packed in the breakfast-themed puns and 80s references and dropped salient clues as well as a few red herrings, with frequent nods to the parochial eccentricity of Midsomer Murders.

The plot included a Neighbourhood Watch meeting, an inheritance, secret trysts, messages from the beyond, and the despoiling of a herbaceous border (surely reasonable grounds for acquittal?). Audience members were invited to contribute and many helpful, or at least entertaining comments were forthcoming. The performances were spirited and supremely tongue-in-cheek; we were there for a lighthearted show and not a baffling brainteaser. Everyone was invited to cast their vote for the likeliest culprit at the end, before the big reveal of the denouement and a tantalising hint of romance between Egg and Chips. An amusing evening, bringing people together in an entertaining and novel way. - Moira Mehaffey