Strictly Murder is a play perfect for fans of Midsummer Murders and Murder She Wrote – aka a cosy murder mystery. Except it’s a lot more than just that. There’s definitely a murder, plenty of drama and twists, but one thing is for sure – this play is far from strictly anything!
Note: Whilst I was kindly invited to see the show, this has had no impact on my review, and this review is my own, honest thoughts.
Show: Strictly Murder
Writer: Brian Clemens
Director: Quinn Goodliffe
Theatre: The Questors Theatre, Ealing Broadway, London
Runs until: 4th October 2025 (Now sadly closed)
Rating: ★★★★
Brian Clemens’ Strictly Murder ran at The Questors Theatre in Ealing Broadway until 4th October 2025. The show is a thriller that had a bit of a slower start, but once the plot began to unfold, it was a play that was brilliantly intriguing and captivating.
Although set in Provence, France, Strictly Murder is a very quintessentially British show. The world is on the brink of World War 2, and tensions are high in and out of the home that is the setting of the piece.
The set alone tells a story about our two characters. A spacious stage becomes a joint kitchen, living and dining area, with set design from Alex Marker. The furniture and small added details show that although our characters may not be wealthy, the house is not short on love and warmth. This also feels like a representation of the show itself; it may not have the budget of West End shows, but it does have plenty of heart to make up for this.
The staging of Strictly Murder works well, what with it all being set within one room. This choice brings a feeling of intimacy to the show. Rather than watching people put on a performance, it feels more like we have been invited into a house, and are being given the chance to have an insight into this couple’s life.
Under Quinn Goodliffe’s direction, Sophie Platts-Martin and Ed Clements step into the shoes of Suzy Hinchcliffe and Peter Meredith. The leads of the show, Suzy and Peter, feel a bit like chalk and cheese, but just seem to click and work. Platts-Martin and Clements have good chemistry that feels natural and genuine. Through their performances, they showed how, like any couple who have been together a while, the familiarity and comfort of one another sometimes brings an argument or two, but despite the bickering, it’s clear there is always love there.
Platts-Martin as Suzy is brilliant. She shows that Suzy is not just a partner to Peter, but a fierce and self-sufficient woman in her own right. Considering the time period of the play, I loved seeing a character like Susie on stage, breaking the mould and stereotypes one would expect of women in that time.
Clements, as Peter, is equally fantastic. He brings many layers to the role and cleverly contrasts each side of Peter in a way that feels skilful and compelling. His performance really elevates the script; Peter is arguably the most complex character in the show, and Clements’ portrayal does more than justice to this.
Tim Pemberton as Joseph also gives a great performance; it is not defined exactly what Joseph’s diagnosis is, but it is clear he has a declining mental state. Pemberton’s performance portraying this is both respectful and touching.
Completing the cast are Anthony Foran, Sarah Morrison, Rory Hobson, Francis Lloyd and Stephan Mirre. Everyone in this company is equally vital to bringing this play to life, which they absolutely do, with ease.
There is a degree of filler content in act one, and whilst this could be argued to be character and world building, it somewhat slows the pace down – I just wanted to get to the murder! Furthermore, Strictly Murder, as said before, is a historical drama which is reflected in the script. However, at times, the text did feel like it was bordering on being too dated, considering how much things within society have changed since then. Having said this, this did not detract from the enjoyment of the play, and this is just a minor detail of note.
As said, act one may have a slower start, but this is far from a problem as the play comes to the end of act one and for the whole of act two. This is when the plot really thickens, the drama unfolds, and the twists are perfectly executed. I heard many audible gasps from the audience when the reveals began!
Something else I thought was really interesting was the ambiguous ending. This ending, I think, works very effectively in this show. Everything is mostly resolved, but it’s left up to audiences to decide where our characters go from there, and I really enjoyed that being the closure of the show.
Anything but predictable, Strictly Murder is a fantastically atmospheric, dark and dramatic thriller. Whilst the show is sadly now closed, if it comes back and you want a cosy mystery to spend the evening wrapped up in…well, this is the show for you.
One Show at a Time 