Presented by Savannah Hankinson

Review by Hunter King

Coorie at Gilded Balloon Patter House

A Queer Little Murder is a storytelling, semi-interactive murder mystery presented by Savannah Hankinson about the most Queer town in New England. The solo show is stripped back with no bells and whistles, with just Hankinson on stage with a bottle of champagne. After Hankinson as a character named “Tryhard” goes through a nasty breakup, she is looking for action and a nice vacation. After booking a hotel goes wrong, Tryhard ends up locked in a mansion with a bunch of socialites and eventually a dead body.

The show feels less like a show, and more like a friend telling you a story, which is not inherently a bad thing. The space was kind, and felt welcoming, Hankinson made sure of that, but in the case of a murder mystery, the story lacked bravado. Instead the show relied on Hankinson’s impressions of very general character types (an Irish woman, a Russian woman, a valley girl). The ending was made up based on what the audience thought would happen, and because of that there was no level of mystery or unpredictability to the story. 

While Hankinson seems like a person that would have interesting stories and a someone who you might want to share a pint with, the show felt almost too informal. The Fringe is meant for a variety of different expressions, but if you’re looking for something artistically interesting, this show may not be for you. However, if you’re looking for a Queer space to spend some time in, chill out and hear a story from somebody you could envision yourself being friends with, A Queer Little Murder may actually be right up your alley.

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