Solve Along Murder She Wrote - Symposium Hall - Review

With thousands of shows covering numerous genres available to choose from at the world famous Edinburgh Fringe, there are countless styles of shows to enjoy and you never know there might be something different and altogether unique that might catch your eye all because you are a fan of the genre. That is exactly what happened to me with the brilliant Solve Along Murder She Wrote as a lover of a good old murder mystery.

Murder She Wrote ran for 12 seasons between 1984 and 1996, staring the late great Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher, mystery writer and amateur detective. And Tim Benzie has seen every episode. The mastermind behind the digital media meets interactive theatre show, Benzie has used his super fan status and infinite knowledge of the subject to create a show so brilliantly unique and so entertaining that he stands out from the crowd. Audience members here are invited to join him to watch an episode of Murder She Wrote, on this occasion ‘Menace, Anyone’ and whilst you may think that sounds a little simple and ordinary, it is host Benzie that makes it extraordinary.

Alongside watching the episode, Benzie leads the delighted and thoroughly engaged audience through a number of games and other interactive moments that induce giggles and great excitement.  From deciding on the fame levels of the episode’s guess stars (and whether or not fame suggests who the killer is) and waving themed padel’s whenever something suspicious happens in the episode, to preparing aha’s for the moment Jessica solves it and even acting out scenes on stage,  Benzie involves everyone and makes this so much more than just watching a tv show in the auditorium of Symposium Hall.

You don’t need to be an expert on Murder She Wrote to enjoy this show, Benzie has enough knowledge for us all. I’ll admit to never really watching an episode, other than the three I have watched with Benzie through attending this show, but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment factor. Benzie is able to throw in facts throughout, point out interesting tidbits of information and laugh at the silliness of both the episode and himself. As a nineties baby, I may not know the names and the fame of the guest stars (I only knew of Bryan Cranston in this episode) but you can bet I’m still joining in with the fame o meter game. A sign that you just get swept away with the fun of it all.

It’s a simple premise really, a group of people coming together to watch a old cosy crime together, but it is host Tim Benzie that makes it so special and who makes it a show that I want to return to each year. He is welcoming, insanely knowledgeable and friendly, creating a sense of togetherness between the gathered murder mystery fans and through games, dress up and the sharing of the knowledge about his specialist subject of Murder She Wrote, he has created a fringe stand out that delights and entertains from start to end.