Even if you’ve never seen an episode of long-running television series Murder, She Wrote, theatrical homage Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote is a night of entertainment well worth catching.

The aforementioned US TV show starred English actress Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher, a novelist who uses her amateur-detective skills to solve all manner of murders most foul.

The show ran for 12 years, during which 264 episodes and four TV movies were made.

And one man who’s seen them all is Tim Benzie, a self-confessed superfan of the series, who is also the fun-loving mastermind behind this Murder, She Wrote-inspired night of frivolous entertainment.

This isn’t the first time Tim’s hit the road with one of his Solve-Along shows - he’s previously visited Stourbridge with productions based on Murder, She Wrote episodes Sing A Song Of Murder and Broadway Malady. This time around, the episode of choice is Paint Me A Murder, a mid-1980s first-season entry in which Jessica visits the remote island hideaway of an artist friend but soon finds herself investigating his death.

At the heart of Tim’s Solve-Along night is an interactive screening of the classic episode - but there’s so much more to enjoy besides: a race to solve the crime, via the Fameometer and the Suspiciometer; a Cabot Cove quiz (Cabot Cove is the small town where Jessica lives); a singalong to the theme tune, complete with added lyrics; and clips and biogs of the campy guest stars.

All in all, this is a fab night of entertainment, and is every bit as enjoyable as Tim’s previous Murder, She Wrote endeavours - shows which Time Out featured in its list of 50 Great Nights Out In London back in 2019 and 2021.

Our advice is to bag yourself a ticket the next time this cult cracker visits a theatre near you. And who knows, if you’ve never seen Murder, She Wrote before, the Solve-Along show might just inspire you to sit down and make your way through all 264 episodes!

Five stars

Rachel Connor reviewed Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote on Thursday 4 September at Stourbridge Town Hall.