Set in New York in the 1930s, On the Key’s production of The Man Who Wouldn’t Be Murdered follows businessman Tony Morino, whose underground speakeasy is in financial trouble. In order to prevent the business from folding, he hatches a sinister plan that proves to be more difficult to carry out than he first thought. We spoke to writer Lily Blundell and director Izzy Grout to learn more about the show.
The Indiependent: What is The Man Who Wouldn’t Be Murdered about?
Izzy Grout: Our show is a jazzy, musical theatre extravaganza set in Prohibition Era New York. It’s based (unbelievably!) on the true story of Michael Malloy, the notoriously invincible patron of Tony Morino’s infamous Speakeasy. In an effort to save his failing livelihood, Morino and his trusty (or not so trusty!) sidekicks, hatch a devious plan to take out life insurance on Malloy and stage his boozy demise… however, they soon find out that some people are much more difficult to kill than others…
What inspired you to create the show?
Lily Blundell: I came across the story completely by accident, in a true crime podcast called Criminal. As I sat there listening I just couldn’t believe this was a. A true story, and something that hadn’t been turned into a film or a TV series… or a musical!
The show was previously performed at Camden Fringe in 2022 and was even nominated for a Standing Ovation award. How did you find Camden Fringe?
IG: The show’s Camden run was a great experience. The whole cast and crew worked so well together to create something that was just dripping with energy and enjoyment—you could feel it every night! The venue was perfect also—right above the Lion & Unicorn Pub—so audiences really felt part of the show. That said, I’m excited to feel the connected spirit of Edinburgh Fringe. There’s always a really unique buzz to it.
LB: Camden was such an exciting thing as a writer, because I had no idea how the public would react to the show. You spend so much time as a writer overthinking everything: “will people like the show?” “Will people actually buy a ticket and come?” But Camdem really did demonstrate people have an appetite for new British musicals, and are willing to take a chance on something new—let’s hope for the same from our Edinburgh audiences!
How are you feeling about this year’s Fringe?
IG: This year’s Fringe seems full of amazing performances; especially now we’re a few years post-pandemic, it’s going to be great to see the Fringe properly back on its feet! Aside from the excitement that comes with the prospect of creative inspiration and connection, I’m looking forward to seeing how our show is received!
LB: Doing a whole month of Fringe is, needless to say, absolutely terrifying! But it’s the most amazing and unbelievable opportunity as a theatremaker—you’ll never find anything like this anywhere else in the world. It does feel daunting to think of all the competition out there, but the musical theatre scene is relatively small at the festival, and it seems like an incredibly supportive community, so I’m incredibly excited to see what else is going on up there.
How has the rehearsal process been? Have you encountered any challenges?
IG: It’s been super exciting to bring the show to life again after its Camden run! The new cast has been fab at throwing themselves into the beautiful absurdity of the story, and really embracing the opportunity for fun and play that Lily’s amazing script and score has to offer. After the Camden run, I really wanted to take the immersive nature of the show (that worked really well in 2022) to the next level, hence staging it in the round. This has required some innovative thinking and a healthy dose of risk-taking!
LB: As a writer, I can’t believe I’ve been lucky enough to get 3 runs (so far!) of this show. Every time we put it on I can’t believe people want to be part of something that started as one silly little idea in my head. I’m so grateful people like my director and producers keep coming back and believing in the show, and rehearsing version 3 has been such a privilege.
What do you hope audiences will take away from this show?
IG: At its heart, The Man Who Wouldn’t Be Murdered is a show that celebrates fun. It’s a great story, and one lived out by some truly memorable characters (and songs that you just can’t help but walk away singing!). So, aside from many an earworm, I hope audiences will have the opportunity to escape the stresses and strains of their everyday lives through enjoying a healthy dose of wit, jazz and tap-dancing insurers alike!
What are you excited to see at this year’s Fringe?
IG: I’m really excited to see some of the amazing female comedians making waves this year. Sarah Cameron-West’s one-woman show Karen seems a must-see for all us Fleabag fans out there. Miriam Margolyes’ return to Fringe also comes as a wonderful surprise—she truly is unstoppable!
LB: I’m a huge fan, and avid supporter of, new British musical theatre, and Fringe is great for finding homegrown original writing that isn’t over commercialised, or a jukebox musical! Ctrl, Alt, Deceit and Potty the Plant are two great new works, but there are loads out there! I’ll be working my way down the musical theatre category of the programme, for sure.
The Man Who Wouldn’t Be Murdered will be performed at TheSpace at Niddry Street from 2-24 August (not 11 or 18) as part of Edinburgh Fringe.
Words by Ellen Leslie
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