REVIEW: Making A Murderer - The Musical, Edinburgh Fringe 2022

Updated: Jun 6

Making A Murderer: The Musical

Underbelly Cowbarn

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

20 August 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I thought this was great! I don't know why I'm so surprised. With Phil Mealey, the writer of Early Doors and The Royle Family both writing and starring in the show, it has some serious talent at the helm.

Matt Bond has genuinely transformed himself into Steven Avery. It really is quite incredible! And here, onstage, we witness the full story of Steven's wrongful imprisonment, release and then rearrest for the murder of Theresa Halbach. Matt is utterly believable as the leading man. Steven Avery is ON that stage.

The songs are good! The ensemble cast are wonderful in their roles. There is plenty of humour, especially in the first half. And the singing is divine - especially from Dean Makowski as Brendan Dassey.

There is a brilliant number where Phil Mealey portrays Ken Kratz as a sort of quiz-show-host-esque, all-singing all-dancing sparkly attention seeker. You can judge for yourself but I found it to be spot on. The ensemble number 'DNA' number is also a highlight.

This is a tricky subject. I am aware that someone has lost their life, that Theresa's murder remains unsolved, and that multiple lives, including Steven and Brendan's have been ruined by this whole sorry saga. So is it appropriate to make a musical about it?

In my opinion, the subject is handled well. The show never pokes fun at the victims themselves, rather it scoffs at the absurdity of the growing tourism industry in Manitowoc for example, thanks to the popularity of the Netflix show, before taking a more serious tone in the second half.

Crucially this show also helps to promote the work of the Innocence project and of many others wrongfully imprisoned. The show is fun, yes, but it also has a serious message of injustice, mistrust and ultimately, of hope.

⭐⭐⭐⭐