Conor Bradbury, Julian Frid, Seann Murray and Lowen Morrow in ‘Crime After Crime (After Crime)’, Photo by Dahlia Katz
Presented by Sex T-Rex
This is only my second experience of Sex T-Rex and, I mean, it was, as expected, spectacular ENTERTAINMENT! Anything but ALL CAPS would diminish the GRAND appeal of this troupe’s masterful efforts. Showcasing their signature cinematic flourishes, Crime After Crime (After Crime) sees our intrepid comedians (Conor Bradbury, Julian Frid, Lowen Morrow and Seann Murray) take us through a crime-action storyline that spans decades and genres!
Opening as a 50s Noir, we are introduced to Nic Beige, a hard-boiled private eye that doesn’t see things in conventional black and white—no, he looks for the beige! He’s colour blind, y’see, a hereditary affliction that becomes one of many running jokes. A mash-up of genre tropes, the story of crime-family squabbles and precious stones takes us through the 70s with a cocaine-fuelled, paisley shirt-wearing Heist (revelling in glorious James Bond-style set-pieces)—and then, finally, on to the 1990s and early 2000s with a cheesy Buddy Cop finale blasting Savage Garden and culminating in a space battle!
The momentum never lets up. Each line and gesture is purposeful, moving the story forward and constantly reminding us of running gags and drawing attention the its own sketch comedy format. Particularly impressive are their clever recreations of cinematic language—pulling out all the stops on their innovative physicality to suggest zooms, whip pans and even editing techniques. Their transitions are especially thrilling.
Coat hanger space fight? Yes, please! And thank you!
Tight, efficient, bursting with legitimately effective storytelling and self-awareness; Crime After Crime (After Crime) is relentlessly funny and an absolute blast!