Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! is the West End’s newest slash hit.
With our true crime fascination at an all-time high, it seems it was only a matter of time before we got a musical out of it… we can only be grateful that it was Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! and not ‘Bundy: A serial killer story.’
Jumping into a space where Law and Order meets Dinner Ladies – with a little bit of Fleabag-style feminism thrown in – the Ambassador Theatre’s newest show is a fabulously macabre addition to the West End and another great example of eccentric, original musicals making it to the big leagues (like Operation Mincemeat or Babies).
Starting off at the Edinburgh Fringe, the show follows two best friends, Kathy Baxter and Stella Carmichael, who channel their lifelong obsession with murders (the grislier the better), into a cheery, weekly true crime podcast – with a very catchy intro.
But, when their favourite true crime famous heroine, Felicia Taylor, wafts into town and is promptly murdered, their lives are changed as a 20-year-old serial killer case is reopened with them at the centre. As Kathy and Stella dive deep into the story, they put their friendship, their morals, and their lives on the line.
As you can probably expect from a murder mystery comedy, Kathy and Stella takes everything you know about musicals and puts a morbid twist on it. Highlights include: Kathy singing a passionate love duet about her first time in a morgue (while dancing on a dead body), and Stella having her big ballad moment about anonymous strangers on the internet.
The show pumps out macabre gags and earthy one-liners like there’s no tomorrow, covering everything from Buffy the Vampire slayer references to Lorraine Kelly, all the while maintaining an intriguing homicide plot with plenty of twists.
The songs are definitely catchy – just try and make sure you don’t accidentally sing the lyrics of We Don’t Know What We’re Doing out loud – and who knew there was so much you could do with wheely chair choreography?
However, it’s in between the dry deliveries and Hull gimmicks that Kathy and Stella finds its true strength, by managing to make genuine points about the issues and ethics of true crime. As the two podcasters investigate who murdered their hero, the search for justice quickly becomes overpowered by a hunger for fame and the need to be “part of a story”.
At the same time, it deftly handles the nature of obsessive fan bases and the way so-called armchair detectives seem to enjoy people’s tragedy.
The audience is slightly hit over the head with this point in act two, when the musical unfortunately decides to adopt a tell don’t show approach, but overall the message is clear: our consumption of true crime has gone too far.
The musical’s profundity also comes out through the beautiful friendship between the two leads. Right from the off, the chemistry between Bronté Barbé (Kathy) and Rebekah Hinds (Stella) is absolutely on point, and there isn’t a second where we don’t believe in their geeky vs bolshy dynamic.
Barbé is excellent as the intelligent but anxious Kathy, a woman so terrified of disappointing people that she opts to do nothing at all. While Hinds matches her in every way as the belligerent Stella, who masks her depths of insecurity with humour and defensiveness.
Best of all, it’s clear that the pair are not just friends but soulmates – a sentiment unequivocally reflected in the song If I Didn’t Have You (I Would Die) – and that this is a story based entirely on friendship rather than romance, which is unbelievably refreshing.
The rest of the cast is made up of five very talented stars, and I want to shine a particular spotlight on Elliotte Williams-N’Dure. For most of the show, Williams-N’Dure has the rather thankless task of playing Detective Inspector Sue Shaw, the irritable police officer required of every murder mystery. However, rather than fade into the background and become part of the crime drama furniture, she steps up in the second act and comes out with a shocking twist and a belter of a song.
Sue’s Song is a poignant and heartbreaking track about disillusionment with police work and morals gone astray. It’s not an overstatement to say that this moment in the show stopped me in my tracks. The only disappointment was having the song roll right into the action of the next scene – not giving Williams-N’Dure a moment for applause.
Overall, Kathy and Stella is fresh, funny and comes with many layers to slice into. Whether you’re a fan of musicals or not, it’s bloody good fun.
For more news and reviews, here’s our Two Strangers review and The Government Inspector review. Plus, Bradley Riches on Babies.
When and where can I see Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder?
Kathy and Stella is running at Ambassadors Theatre for a limited season until 14th September. The shows will take place everyday except Sunday, with two shows on Saturdays.
If you need help getting there, Ambassadors Theatre is right next to Covent Garden tube station (on the Piccadilly Line), or you can take a short walk from Charing Cross (Bakerloo and Northern line or Southeastern Rail).
How to get Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! tickets
Tickets are on sale now at ATG Tickets from £20, and there’s plenty of availability over the next few months.
Buy Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder tickets at ATG Tickets
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