REVIEW: Bury The Hatchet (Southwark Playhouse Borough)
Star rating ★★★★★
Photo taken by Alex Brenner
Bury the Hatchet is based on the story of Lizzie Borden, blending true crime, dark comedy, and live music together to create something fresh and new.
When I read that the show started at the Edinburgh Fringe and was going on tour in Canada after its London run, it got my attention immediately; I believe it’s the international aspect.
The production features three actors/musicians: Lawrence Boothman, David Leopold, and Sasha Wilson, who constantly swap between characters and instruments, all with perfect comic timing.
The music itself is beautifully written, blending instruments like the fiddle, mandolin, and guitar to create strong harmonies and folk melodies that fit the mood of the story perfectly.
During the performance, the cast breaks the fourth wall by starting a discussion over how the story should be told, pulling us right into the middle of the investigation and making the audience feel like a real part of the show. Despite the dark subject matter, Sasha Wilson does an incredible job of balancing the comedy with sharp humor to keep the whole performance lively and engaging.
Photo taken by Alex Brenner
Furthermore, the show invites you to explore how history, the press, and public fascination turned a real woman into both a legend and a villain, rather than just asking the standard question: "Did Lizzie do it?"
The set design keeps things minimalistic, using colour rather than heavy props to set the scene. The stage is set in a striking blend of crimson and deep purple-red to evoke the violence, with purple to give everything a dark, sinister feel, keeping the threat of murder hanging in the air. With almost no clutter on stage, the actors have nowhere to hide, making every shadow and movement stand out and turning the space into a tense, inescapable trap.
There is much historical detail packed into just 70 minutes, but it moves with so much energy that it never feels like a history lesson. Clever, dark, hilarious, and brilliantly performed, I would have happily watched another hour. It is a fantastic show.
Bury The Hatchet is playing at The Southwark Playhouse Borough until 5th September
https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/bury-the-hatchet/#book-tickets
