Scream Queer Murder at The Kings Head

It is 1953 and two queer men are inside the head of a famous murder mystery author waiting to be written in to her latest novel. Excitement turns to suspicion and fear when the penny drops that one of them must kill the other. In desperation they turn to their own language – the queer language of POLARI – to turn the tables on the author.

Scream Queer Murder takes elements of Six Characters in Search of an Author and blends them with the makings of an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery to create a meta and Polari-filled storyline that leaves the audience asking what happens to characters when they are left alone.

Without giving away too much of the plot the first two-thirds of the play concerns the characters living within the confines of a murder mystery book as the story is written, then there is a jump and the sudden change leaves the characters, and sadly at times also the audience, in confusion here as the storyline here gets a little muddied.

The pacing of this play could be improved to better hold the audience’s attention and clarify some of the key themes within the storyline.  The show is missing an element of suspense and energy that could help bring this show to life.  Similarly, some of the choices in the later part of the show seem bizarre and unexplained.  It’s a show that would go over better if it leaned more into the comedic elements and didn’t take itself quite so seriously.

The use of Polari is a fascinating narrative choice and something I found myself wishing had been explored slightly differently to show the beauty of the language.

Both lead performers Morgan Leigh Jones and Martin Lewton prove themselves to be great character actors in this performance with attention paid to physicality.

Scream Queer Murder is on at the King’s Head Theatre until the 12th of August and tickets can be booked through their website.