Review: Kathy and Stella is ‘full of laugh out loud moments’

Like a lot of us loners, Kathy and Stella love reading about true crime and murder, not in a morbid or weird way, honest.

They’re two incredibly relatable twenty-somethings who are just trying their best to muddle their way through life.

The northern besties decided to turn their shared love of gossip, wine and true crime into a podcast.

Kathy and Stellas Murder Podcast

Kathy and Stellas Murder Podcast, Hull’s least successful true-crime podcast, is recorded in Kathy’s mum’s basement and it has at least five listeners!

The story doesn’t end there though, when the pair go to see their idol, the famous Felicia Taylor, they get well and truly wrapped up in a murder mystery of their own.

Before the show starts, you walk into the theatre to a playlist of murder and crime-themed songs.

This doesn’t sound too cheery on paper, but walking to find your seat while dancing to ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ by Sophie Ellis-Bextor sets the fun, upbeat vibe for the evening.

Amazing and Catchy Songs

Every song in the show is as catchy as the last, you find yourself singing along to the ‘Kathy and Stella’s Murder Podcast’ theme tune as if you’d been listening to it every day on your commute to work.

Both Bronté Barbé and Rebekah Hinds who play Kathy and Stella have incredible voices, even when they’re singing in a Yorkshire accent.

What sets this show apart is the characterisation of the cast, as other than Bronté and Rebekah, the rest of the cast play multiple parts in the same scenes.

An Amazing Cast

Imelda Warren-Green who mainly plays Erica, a crazed true crime superfan and avid Kathy and Stella listener, embodies various roles.

She completely changes character from Erica to Stella’s sister by changing her mannerisms, and facial expressions and adding a simple accessory to her costume.

Jodie Jacobs who plays the famous Felicia is an incredibly talented actress who has also mastered the quick change.

She is able to go from celeb to police constable by just putting on a lanyard and a claw clip in her hair!

The staging for the show was blindingly brilliant, from the giant Kathy and Stella sign at the start of the show, to the Murdercon neon lighting.

None of it would look out of place on a larger stage and would easily appeal to a wider audience, but it works perfectly in HOME’s Theatre 1.

The way the set moves is as fast and effortless as the characters’ quick changes, you’re transported back and forth before you realise it.

The band were on stage but hidden behind the basement junk, allowing the music to be heard but not distracting the audience from what was going on centre stage.

The music and lyrics by Matthew Floyd Jones are so catchy and fit the theme of the show perfectly, the songs flow into the dialogue expertly.

This is a show that deserves to snowball and has the chance to become a huge hit.

There are plenty of laugh-out-loud funny moments, not just little giggles from the audience, full belly laughs.

Combine that with the small selection of talented performers, the catchy soundtrack and the relatable themes in the show, they’re onto a winner.

There are plenty of hidden gems in the show too, from punny book titles to funny one-liners, the show has you hooked from the beginning.

It’s well worth a watch with your friends, and as Kathy and Stella would say, see ya next murder!

Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder is on at Manchester’s HOME until the 21st of October.

You can get your tickets by clicking here