Short & Curly - Who Dunnit?

The basement of an Italian restaurant may not sound like the most promising venue for a comedy show, but the cramped, dimly lit atmosphere actually suits this interactive murder mystery rather well. Unfortunately, ambience alone cannot save Who Dunnit? from the weakness of its own material, despite the consistent comic energy on display.

Following the classic format, Short & Curly (Rebecca Shorrocks and Paul F Taylor, so named for their respective hairstyles) discover their new partner Andy (a much-abused mannequin) has been murdered. Via a series of breathless, desperately zany sketches, a range of potential suspects are introduced, leaving the audience to decide which of them is the killer. These include an obvious parody of Macho Man Randy Savage, a Blue Peter-esque children's TV presenter, two refugees from a 1980s theme park, a strangely accented illusionist, and Gonzo the Muppet (a cameo the Jim Henson Company probably didn't sign off on). None of these characters is as funny as as the nameless narrators who appear periodically to explain the proceedings, clad in hastily-donned dressing gowns and clutching an ever-more ridiculous array of smokables (pipe, cigar, fish).

Short & Curly are likeable, confident and quick-witted, but they render these talents largely moot by depending too heavily upon the audience. When the victims they pluck from the crowd turn out to be less than amusing, whole sketches are liable to be quickly curtailed, or abandoned entirely. While the duo may resent their audience's shortcomings, they would do well to focus on their own.