Welcome to [insert nondescript English town name here]. Life is simple and organised, the Tombola is always on schedule, as is the rest of the town fete. Lydia is a key member of the community, and she makes sure of it. There most certainly should not be a severed foot amongst the Tombola raffle prizes.
Unfortunately, as this is the case on this particular day, Lydia will stop at nothing to discover who the perpetrator is, as well as who the foot belonged to. Completely unaided. Totally by honest means.
Lydia takes us along for the ride as she investigates her list of suspects. With the aid of a schedule and some enthusiastic volunteers, this who-dunnit unfolds piece by titillating piece. While audience participation is always a bit of a gamble, it is integrated well into the show and draws the audience deeper into the intrigue of the plot, keeping them invested.
For anybody who knows ‘Welcome to Nightvale’, this show tells a similarly comedically absurd plot of what may be a regular English town, or may just perhaps be something much more insidious. When more feet begin to appear in town, we begin to wonder what else is going on beneath the surface.
McVey’s performance is engaging, though not being off-script a week into the Fringe is slightly problematic and at times their reading off of the ‘schedule’ begins to feel tiresome. It feels as though the show was also not curated well to the space, as one entire side of the audience misses key elements of the show due to the angle at which they are seated.
However, McVey’s storytelling abilities are impressive and keeps us on the edge of our seat until the final moment. The political satire of the piece does not go unnoticed, and gives a nice alternative side to what would otherwise be simply a lighthearted murder mystery.
A Foot is Not an Appropriate Prize for the Tombola is running until 31 August at Attic at Pleasance Courtyard. Buy tickets here.
Photo credits to Daniel McVey and Miranda Spencer Pearson.
