Little Lark of London

⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Who knew solving a murder would be so hard?”

Kathy and Stella are the best of friends and one of their favourite things to do is talk about murders on their podcast. Known as “Hull’s least successful true crime podcasters,” they are obsessed with true crime author Felicia Taylor (The Miranda Priestly of True Crimee). Things change when Taylor is murdered and the girls decide to take the case into their own hands. 

But, of course, life is not perfect, and conflict begins to emerge as Kathy falls in love with the idea of working in a morgue and Stella becomes obsessed with Internet fame, causing them to grow apart just as the podcast is starting to become famous. 

I really enjoyed Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! with its wonderful leads, fun ensemble, and catchy songs. The cast is simply incredible with ensemble members switching roles seamlessly, sometimes during the same song! The choreography, particularly when rolling chairs and microphones are involved, is slick and pleasing to the eye. The script reminds me of Only Murder in the Building, a compliment as that has become one of my favourite shows. The show’s simple yet brilliant set must also be acknowledged, especially the classic evidence board with lighting used to represent the red string and some cool UV effects!

Even though the show is about the friendship between Kathy and Stella, which is acknowledged as codependent multiple times, there is a strange moment in which both Kathy and Stella are told by their loved ones that they will never find another friendship like this one, which might be a bit of a toxic message to be sharing after all the warnings of codependency shared before. 

Ultimately, Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! is a hilarious musical that brings a fresh take to the “murder podcast” trope that has emerged over the past few years, reflecting on the ethics of using tragedy for entertainment while still being amusing itself. The killer may be easy to guess but the show is still incredibly enjoyable and the songs are absolute bangers. 

Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! ran at Underbelly