Interview: Peter Baker - Murder, She Didn’t Write
Peter Baker is an actor and the assistant director for Murder, She Didn’t Write. Get ready to be involved, as the show features audience participation to create a thrilling, laugh-out-loud murder mystery that’s never been seen before—and will never be seen again!
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/murder-she-didn-t-write
Venue: Gordon Aikman Theatre at Assembly George Square
When: 5th - 31st August
Could you tell us a bit more about who you are, the role you’re playing in the show, and what the show is all about?
Well, I more or less can answer this question. Easy bit first: I’m Peter Baker, actor and assistant director for Murder, She Didn’t Write, the improvised comedy where we take audience suggestions to create a thrilling, laugh-out-loud murder mystery that’s never been seen before and will never be seen again.
As for telling you what role I play in the show, that’s a little more tricky. Sometimes, I will detect a show, and you’ll meet my detective character, Hugh Dunnit. If I’m not detecting though, I won’t know who my character is until I step onstage! I could be anything from a sexy Russian weightlifter to a sexy dour Somerset chicken farmer, or maybe a sexy meek 80-yr-old librarian. I’ll undoubtedly be sexy though.
Since the show is completely improvised based on audience clues, you are technically "writing" a brand new murder mystery on the spot every time. How do you balance assistant directing, performing, and inventing a plot in real-time?
I’ve been praised for my ball-handling skills many times, and let me tell you, I know how to juggle. Onstage, we’re all balancing listening, being funny, keeping plot threads in our head, building a narrative. A huge part of it is trust in each other and a lot of concentration. And a can of sugar-free Monster. Directing-wise, Lizzy Skrzypiec, our director, does all the hard work (directing, planning, meetings, leading) so when I step into the director’s role, it’s all about maintaining her vision for the show.
One of the unique things about this show is that the cast doesn't actually know who the killer is until the audience decides. What is the backstage energy like when you’re trying to solve the mystery along with the crowd?
Tense, focussed and deathly quiet. And occasionally a bit whiffy in fart corner. Our microphones are on constantly throughout the show, so we can’t talk to each other. We also need to listen and focus on what’s happening on stage, so there’s no room for chat or distraction!
The show heavily relies on what the audience throws at you. What is the weirdest or most hilarious suggestion you’ve had to work with so far on tour?
Zombie Apocalypse. Common audience suggestions for events include “cheese rolling” (people love cheese), “speed dating”, a “bake-off” but “zombie apocalypse” last Fringe was a new one! The story ended up being about a bunch of survivors barricaded in a house, unaware there was not just a zombie-killer amongst them, but a bonafide murderer. The threat of zombies amped up the stakes and provided great fodder for survivalist scenes and bold characters (Rachael Procter-Lane’s circus-trained zombie hunter was a particular highlight).
Looking at your tour dates, you have a massive lineup ahead, including the Edinburgh Fringe and several West End dates. How do you keep the performance feeling fresh and high-energy when traveling to a new venue so frequently?
Firstly, we genuinely all enjoy hanging out together and love doing the show. The fact each show is different keeps it utterly fresh for us. There’s also real excitement wondering what an audience will be like in each city we visit - the beauty of taking audience suggestions is you get to learn what sort of show they want to see. If they’re shouting out “reading of a will”, “tea party” or “jumble sale” we know they’re up for a real Christie-style golden age mystery but if they’re shouting “swingers party”, “hen-do” or “Love Island”, they might be after a bit more sauce.
If you had to describe the show in only three words to make people eager to see it, what would they be?
Hilarious, Thrilling, Sexy. (Wait, did you ask me to describe the show or me?)
