How to Kill Your Landlord I dare say many tenants have felt like this at times. Especially when they are forced to live in substandard conditions with a long list of unfinished maintenance repairs.

Flatmates, Harriet (Frankie Weatherby), Burke (Robbie Fletcher-Hill) and Joq (Elijah Khan) share a flat where the wallpaper looks more like decoupage, with sheets for doors and dodgy electrics which intermittently electrocute the residents. I dread to think when they last had an electric safety check carried out.

Landlord (cheapskate) Archie played by John Gregor has left the flat to fall into disrepair to force the tenants out. However, when this fails he issues an eviction notice when he turns up unannounced one morning.

Archie is a smarmy unscrupulous landlord character that instantly puts you on the side of the tenants and it is easy to understand why they decide to plot together and want to “kill him.”

Director Calum Shiels brings to the stage a dark slapstick comedy, with a twist that only dawned on me just before the three flatmates realise what is about to happen! The saying “be careful what you wish for” is relevant for these three.

I rarely feel that a play would benefit from an extra fifteen minutes added to it to stretch the story out. In the current format, some of the comedy lines feel rushed in places and would benefit from the extra time for the humour to fall naturally.

Meade Conway wrote the play in light of personal experiences dealing with landlords in London. Unfortunately, his experience will not be an isolated incident which is probably why it struck a nerve outside the Theatre World!

One of those plays where “Art imitates life.” 

For more information about How to Kill Your Landlord please use the link below.

Fours Stars.

https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/how-to-kill-your-landlord

https://bedlamfringe.co.uk/2025/06/16/how_to_kill_your_landlord/