Interview: Sam Denia on MURDER FOR TWO at the Barn Theatre Cirencester
Currently running at the Barn Theatre in Cirencester is the revival production of Kellen Blair and Joe Kinosian’s award-winning musical comedy Murder For Two. We spoke to Sam Denia who plays the Suspects in the show.
Tell us about Murder for Two.
What is Murder For Two… Murder For Two is a manic, high octane murder mystery comedy musical with everything you could possibly want from theatre thrown into a magnificent and fun two hours. The real question is what isn’t Murder For Two?
How was the rehearsal period?
I have to say, rehearsals were the upmost fun! Working with Lee (O’Reilly - performer) and Brian (Hodgson - director) has been a blessing. They are both two wonderful people as well as colleagues; it’s never felt like a job being here, it’s felt like we’re creating something funny and entertaining and it’s never been stressful despite the amount we’ve needed to do. Kudos to them both for being amazing!
Being a two-hander, you have to put a lot of trust in one another and feed off each other’s energy. How is this working for you so far?
The only concern I had coming into this show was the fact that it was just a two-hander; the only cast member I have is Lee and what if we didn’t like each other?! Fortunately, it’s felt like I’ve known him for years! We came into this project with an open mind and a desire to have fun and I feel we’ve really connected with the script, the score, the director and everyone who’s involved; the trust was there from the very beginning.
Actor-musicianship is an incredibly challenging and fine art. How do you navigate the challenges of being a musician alongside an acting performance?
Acting in a show like this is challenging enough, especially at the speed at which it flies, throw in some comedy and you’ve got a hot potato on your hands! But adding live music into the mix really feels like we’re juggling ten plates at once. The whole show is finely tuned though. Throughout rehearsals we’ve been ensuring that we’re not sacrificing any element of the show for another. Thanks to Brian, Lee and I have felt very confident coming into this and we’ve been allowed the freedom to play but also making sure we nail the technical elements this show needs.
You are playing multiple roles as the suspects in the show. How easy do you find switching from one character to the next?
It’s quite the experience playing ten different suspects! If I’m being honest, it’s just fun! Multi-roling is always a challenge because distinction is crucial but the speed of this production, along with the fact that we never leave the stage or change costume, makes the swapping literally happen on stage and in the blink of an eye. I can’t complain, I’m playing enough characters for two whole years of acting work!
We all need some laughter after what has been a fairly miserable couple of years. How would you encourage people to come and see Murder for Two?
I’d encourage people to see this show because I don’t think it’s like any other show you’ve seen before. Not only does it incorporate so many loveable genres of theatre, but there’s live piano with wonderful music. The production value from the set to the lighting is exquisite, and not only that, you’ll have a whale of a time, I’m certain.
Murder for Two runs at the Barn Theatre until 5 March, with tickets available here.
