The ADC Theatre in Cambridge is currently staging an improvised murder mystery devised and performed by the Cambridge Improv Factory. The piece, billed as Murder Most Unexpected, hands the creative reins to the audience while a small ensemble constructs each night’s plot from scratch.
Format and performance
At the heart of the show is the host, Detective Christopher Agathie, played by David McHardy. Audience members supply essential details — the scene, the victim, the perpetrator and the means — and the cast must knit those suggestions into a coherent story on the spot. That requires not only comic timing but also careful continuity from scene to scene.
The onstage company for the run includes David McHardy, Kate Weedy, Jonathan Rosten, Alex Wilber, Kate Madison, Hugh Clark and Alan Hay. The production benefits from the tight physical setting of an Edwardian manor house set, which provides a suitably atmospheric backdrop for the unfolding mystery.
Technical improvisation
Live technical support plays an active role. Sound and lighting operators Alan Morgan and Dominic Plunkett accompany scenes in real time and sometimes use their equipment to punch up comic moments or to respond to sudden plot developments. With no fixed cue script to consult, they improvise alongside the cast — occasionally leaning on incongruous effects when an exact sound is not at hand.
- Show: Murder Most Unexpected (improvised murder mystery)
- Venue: ADC Theatre, Cambridge
- Company: Cambridge Improv Factory
- Key performers: David McHardy, Kate Weedy, Jonathan Rosten, Alex Wilber, Kate Madison, Hugh Clark, Alan Hay
- Technicians: Alan Morgan, Dominic Plunkett
Memorable moments and audience role
One running gag during the performance involved a cast member’s developing aversion to a common word; in this run Alex Wilber became noticeably uneasy whenever the word “open” arose, and fellow performers gleefully exploited the weakness. That kind of emergent detail is the payoff of true improvisation: small, unplanned traits become sustained comedic threads throughout the evening.
“Whatever they come up with will be hilarious,”
The quotation above captures the show’s tone: the humour is immediate and often derivative of audience choices. Voting moments and any more structured elements are supported by prepared visual and audio material, which helps create a sense of drama and pacing in an otherwise spontaneous performance.
| Aspect | Notes |
|---|---|
| Structure | Audience-supplied details shape each performance |
| Design | Edwardian manor house set |
| Technical | Live sound and lighting cues adapted on the fly |
For Cambridge audiences, the production offers a lively, participatory night at the theatre that changes night-to-night. The combination of a capable cast, active technical team and a supportive venue means the show walks the fine line between chaos and coherence — and, more often than not, lands squarely on the comic side. Those considering a visit should expect a different play each evening and come prepared to contribute.
