2026 Fringe Review: ‘MURDER PLOT!’ 

The premise of Trevor Schmidt’s MURDER PLOT! is simple. The lord of the manor is dead, and it’s up to a detective to get to the bottom of the case.

The play relies on overdone ironies and humour. But somehow, its clichés are what make the show a feel-good and enjoyable time. Audiences can play along in guessing who the culprit is, and sit back and enjoy the simple writing.

The play starts with a world-renowned detective (Jeremy Schick, a University of Alberta alumnus) trying to introduce himself, but an incessant bell keeps cutting him off, forcing him to keep restarting. 

This first bit of the play captures the rest of the show’s vibe. Humour that is reminiscent of family-favourite sitcoms and is often surface-level and repetitive.

As the detective tries to pinpoint the murderer among the six suspects of the manor, the group gives him a hard time by going off track and refusing to take the investigation seriously. The chauffeur (Mark Facundo) suggests he himself could be the killer, despite it being impossible because of his confirmed alibi. 

Even the wife of the dead man (Sarah Rossman) laughs that she didn’t know her husband well enough to comment on the case. Rossman’s stellar body language, simple mannerisms, and facial expressions go beyond her dialogue, bringing a fresh energy to the play. Her dynamic with the manor’s butler (Ed Picard) is hilarious, and kept the audience laughing throughout the show. The two match each other’s energies perfectly, and are both equally unhelpful in solving the murder case. 

Interestingly, characters are referred to by their titles and are stereotypical, from the way they’re dressed to the way they behave. A secretary with glasses, a stereotypically seductive nurse, and a cheerful butler all play into familiar clichés, teaming up to ridicule the detective trying to help them. 

Repetition is also used often to create humorous moments. It works well at first, but becomes less effective as the show goes on. Like when, each character recites a long dinner order perfectly over and over again throughout the running time. The detective also constantly asserts his supreme status whenever someone threatens his authority. Unfortunately, the joke becomes unoriginal quickly. 

The writing suffers the same fault as the play progresses. Certain scenes drag on without much substance, and the plot loses focus with characters acting arbitrarily. Although randomness contributes to the play’s humour, it sometimes fails to land. While simplicity is the main attribute, the writing could have benefited from greater depth. 

In the end, no conclusion is really reached – continuing with the silly, non-serious theme. 

Overall, MURDER PLOT! isn’t claiming to comment on human society or change your outlook on life. Yes, it has clichés, and overused dialogue, but it’s cheesy in a fun way, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s short and delivers a few laughs. 

MURDER PLOT! is playing at the Fringe Festival until August 23, with Fringe holdover shows at the Varscona Theatre on August 25 and 26.