This isn’t a sponsored post.
BrumHour saw Death Drop at the invitation of The Alexandra.
For Brum Radio’s Interval Theatre Dave Massey spoke to Vinegar Strokes about their role in Death Drop. Listen here:
By Dave Massey twitter.com/BrumHour
This production contains strong language, inferred violence and loud crashes.
Review: Death Drop at The Alexandra
Written by Holly Stars and directed by Jesse Jones with original songs by Flo and Joan
Death Drop is a recent West End production on tour across the UK, a murder mystery comedy musical with horror it features Drag Queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race as part of its company.
It’s 1991 and Lady Von Fistenburg (Vinegar Strokes) is hosting a dinner in honour of the 10th Wedding Anniversary of The Prince and Princess of Wales, Charles and Diana, a huge portrait of them hangs on the wall above the fireplace. Her caterers are triplets The Bottomley Sisters (mostly played Holly Stars). The famous and infamous guests arrive one by one, there’s a hack from the tabloid news, Morgan Pierce (Karen from Finance) Phil Maker (Georgia Frost), national weather reporter Summer Raines (Ra’Jah O’Hara), Rich Whiteman MP (Richard Energy) and finally international pop sensation Shazza (Played by Willam).
There’s only one slight issue, without the invention of Google, none of the guests have ever heard of Lady Von Fistenburg.
This production has absolutely everything, comedy, physical humour, musical numbers, self awareness, jump scares, blood and lots and lots of references to the early 1990s. It’s pretty British considering the international cast, jokes about Crispy Pancakes, EastEnders, foreshadowing events in the Royal Family and parodies of tabloid fodder of the day.
This is a play within its own right and I thought lovingly about The Mousetrap, Murder She Wrote, Cluedo and Miss Marple during this fun filled two hour show (Plus 20 minute interval). The sets are blues, purples and yellows adding an unreal quality to this supposedly historic mini mansion and the characters seems to have Cluedo style character colours to them Green, Royal Blue, Denim Blue and and Purple.
Each role plays to the strengths of its performer with Willam and Vinegar Strokes brilliantly delivering the opening songs of each half, whilst Ra’Jah O’Hara and Karen from Finance play roles with lots of dialogue.
A fun and often daft homage to murder mystery, Death Drop is at The Alexandra until Saturday 27th November 2021. Find out more about this production via deathdropplay.com
