In my finest tradition of writing about things I have only the loosest grip on, I'm turning theatre critic. I'm really not kidding here. Before yesterday, my last visit to the theatre in... I've no idea. And that's a shame on a lot of levels, not least the fact that I'd have got a lot more out of seeing Bury the Hatchet had I done so.
Bury the Hatchet is a three person effort coming from Out of the Woods Theatre, telling the tale of Lizzie Borden, America's most famous possible axe murderer. Well. They made a point of reminding us that she used a hatchet but I prefer the term axe murderer. So there. The play isn't just about Borden though. Its about a lot of things, such as stereotypes, the accuracy of reported information, and the way we tell stories. Which is why I wish I'd been to the theatre more; I'd have probably got a lot more out of it.
I still had a blast.
At least one of the group is a My Favourite Murder fan - my wife found out about the play through the London Murderinos facebook page - and it shows. Bury the Hatchet had the same mix of true life crime, wry and multifaceted humour, occasional personal confession and socially progressive critique as the podcast. The actors took this formula and ran with it. Like, Chariots of Fire style ran with it. It takes a deft hand to balance tragedy and humour in this way; it is present in both the acting and the writing.
The best part of both humour-wise were the numerous fourth wall breaks, such as one of the actors interrupting the opening speech to criticise the accent and also later going to sit in the audience and ask questions. Those moments got the biggest laughs along with the tale of how the family servant, Bridget, was known as Maggie.
Bury the Hatchet shined even brighter though when concentrating on the pathos of the story. The trio showed off their musical talent with a number of mournful renditions of traditional folk songs, bringing home the realities of the situation faced by Lizzie when she was accused of murder.
Was she guilty? The play's focus on the tragicomic aspects left little space for going into the specifics of the situation and many theories surrounding it. There clearly wasn't a shortage of research into the subject, with frequent excerpts from the period such as the coroner's report, police inquiry, and even Lizzie's meatloaf recipe making their way into the play. But I left wanting more. That might just be personal taste though.
It's definitely a sign of a good play that I had that level of interest come the end though. Bury the Hatchet marries the warmth of My Favourite Murder with a tastefully toned down version of Deadpool's wit. In the unlikely event this is seen by anyone in London looking to hit the theatre in the next few days, I've got a recommendation for them. Its down in the Vaults. For everyone else - well, hope that the show goes on elsewhere.
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