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Theatre Reviews
Murderous Instincts: The Salsa Musical
Please note: this production is no longer running.

DETAILS
Venue: Savoy Theatre Strand, London, WC2R 0ET Tube: Charing Cross, Embankment Performances: Mon-Sat 19:30, Mats Wed & Sat 14:30 Duration: about 2 hours Price: UKP10-UKP50	To order tickets: Savoy Theatre Click here to order tickets for showings at The Savoy Theatre (opening: July 10, 2004, closes: January 29, 2005)

Reviews:

09/04 (Savoy Theatre, original cast)

Not A Mild Sort of Spicy
Breaking down the straightbacked chairs of evening theatre, Murderous Instincts pours out the eccentric, lavish notes of salsa over its a-bit-more-restrained counterparts.

“MONEY IS GOOD, it’s just misunderstood,” belts out Lauren Buckingham, and so begins lyrical money-grubbing of the riotous new musical/comedy, Murderous Instincts, playing at the Savoy Theatre. Set to a salsa beat and transplanted straight from the streets of Puerto Rico before making its Broadway debut, Murderous Instincts follows the complete unhinging of the Buckingham family following the death of its repressed and commandeering patriarch.

In the absence of the exiled firstborn son, Reed, sparring siblings Lauren and Colin dutifully report to their father’s vast old Casa to reap the supposed rewards of his inheritance. They tow along their disgruntled spouses, feisty Felicia and passionate Juan, and all cower before the domineering presence of their fire-breathing mother, Edwina.

But when the persnickety family lawyer, Tweedman, reveals that Edwina is the sole beneficiary of the Buckingham fortune, the ungrateful grown children work themselves into a frenzy. In response to the tension, old family secrets resurface and illicit liaisons flare among the members of the household. When the crew bursts into Edwina’s bedroom the morning after the reading of the will, they are shocked to find nothing but an mysterious note and a kit bag of … body parts? The investigation into Edwina’s murder immediately commences.

The husband and wife team of Manny and Cinda Fox cooked up the lyrics and production flair for Murderous Instincts from their home in Puerto Rico. The smooth, rhythmic sway of salsa moves fluidly from song to song, although the exceptional orchestra is regrettably kept hidden behind stage until a showy final number, which nearly sets the Savoy on fire with music and dance. Nameless, lackluster ballads about lost love nearly sink the first and seconds acts, but rest assured another glitzy, upbeat song and dance number will quickly follow each melodious dud.

While Lauren and Colin play straight characters to their more colorful spouses, two personalities leap from the Savoy’s stage and nearly steal the entire production. The first is Miguel, a flamboyant childhood friend of the Buckinghams, played by Jonathan D. Ellis with cheeky rigor. Wrapped up in a bright pink suit, Miguel leads the two funniest scenes in the show – a sexy salsa dance between two men and a hilarious solo titled “It’s So Much Fun to Be Gay.”

The real star of the salsa is the domineering head-of-household, Edwina, played by glamorous West End veteran Nichola McAuliffe. Tipsy, wiry, and dripping with acidic Puerto Rican charm, Edwina dismally observes the selfish downfall of her children and mourns her own glory days as La Reina, Queen of Salsa. McAuliffe effortlessly perfects Edwina’s gravely, mournful voice and her searing, comedic one-liners.

Supported by a cheery swing line, who salsa their way through every scene change, Murderous Instincts lilts along to its own chaotic beat. At times the upbeat mood is infiltrated by stale dialogue and mechanic gesticulations, but one could overlook such slight foibles of the twisting plot and settle back for an evening of exceptional comic acting and pulsing salsa rhythms.

(Allison Retka)

Click here to order tickets for showings at The Savoy Theatre (opening: July 10, 2004, closes: January 29, 2005)