The Dead Parrot Collective is back, and they once again take the prize for the most convoluted show title at the Fringe. To give it its full title, this one is called Murder! At The Cirque Du Banquet! The Terrible, Final Case of Detective Ace Dekkard
As may be deducted from the title, this year, they’re pastiching American Detective Noir stories, with a lot of puns thrown in for good measure.
We begin with Detective Ace Dekkard (Connor McCord) pacing the stage as a voiceover plays. In a clever conceit, this is actually Dekkard’s internal monologue, and not only can we, the audience, hear it, but so can the other characters in the play.
As these stories always are, they are straightforward and complex. We’re in Yew Nork in 3724, and Scarlett Souffle (Brianna Jolly), star of the Cirque du Banquet, has been murdered!
Despite having a deep-seated animosity towards clowns, Dekkard, approaching retirement and at the top of his career, agrees to investigate and takes newly-minted Detective Vinnie Cassino (Paul Tomlinson) along to the circus with him.
As Dekkard and Cassino interview the suspects, we learn more about both men and about why Souffle may have been murdered.
The suspects are all fellow performers and the titular Cirque Du Banquet ringmaster. As ever, everyone is hiding secrets: from Ringmaster Relish’s (Jack Jarvis Gouther) Definitely Not Fife accent to Horatio Mustard’s (Declan Tracey) bulletproof fake muscles, there’s a twist and a clue around every corner.
As all world-weary, jaded detectives must, Dekkard has his own unique way of solving crime, together with a catchphrase/slogan that is deployed as he interrogates suspects. This was a really great idea, and there is a lot of mileage in the specific idea here, if the Collective wanted to tangent off into other art forms. A series of Ace Dekkard audio dramas would be a great way to keep the character alive without the investment needed for a Fringe run.
The cast of ten work their socks off, particularly Jordan Monks, Lev Siegel and the above-mentioned Brianna Jolly, who all multi-role – sometimes within the same scene. This may sound chaotic, and it is, and that is also deliberate.
As a sequel to last year’s The Tragedy that Befalls the Dastardly Crew of the Kakapo, Dead Parrot shows greater confidence and ambition here. The script is more fully developed, and an obvious expansion to the number of members of the collective has allowed for greater ambition overall.
We’ve been asked not to spoil the plot, and so we won’t. This is, however, a good, fun romp through the tropes of the genre, delivered with humour and numerous fourth-wall breaks, by a group who are obviously gaining in confidence. We’re also rather pleased that all the clues are there to allow you to solve ‘whodunit’ ahead of Detective Dekkard.
Murder! At The Cirque Du Banquet! The Terrible, Final Case of Detective Ace Dekkard continues at Paradise in Augustines – The Studio (venue 152) at 10.10pm (22:10) until August 17th
