A Brew to a Kill-Guildford Shakespeare Company.

Hogs Back Brewery has been transported back to 1954, and after a brief welcoming speech by Richard Gloucester (Jack Whittam), to the new team rooms at the brewery, it soon becomes a murder scene.

Richard and his sister Edwina Gloucester (Emma Fenney) have been working hard to keep the brewery going and opening their new venture of the coffee shop. However, their brother George hasn’t been making life easy with mounting debts and arguments within the family. The future of the family brewery is uncertain.

George had been dealing with the local notorious gangster Tommy Tyrell, played by Robert Maskell, who had been using part of the brewery to “store things” although what we aren’t sure but you can guarantee it’s not legal.

Last is the rival Brewery owner Anne Prior (Laura Smithers), who has been working hard to buy Hogs Brewery and amalgamate the two breweries.

As with all relationships and families, there are secrets and family dynamics that surface as they openly argue in front of the crime solving teams. Who dunnit! Listen to everything and watch their body language, and you might be able to solve the mystery.

The concept of this murder mystery night is very well organised and performed. However, I did find that the size of each group was a bit too big, and ours didn’t integrate too well, so by the time it came to deciding who killed the victim each of the sub groups with the main group had conflicting ideas and didn’t talk to each other.

For more information about A Brew to a Kill, please use the link below. It’s a great opportunity to look around part of the brewery as you meet and can question each of the four characters one by one in various locations around the site.

Four Stars.

https://www.guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk/murder-mystery-2026/

Devised by GSC
Written by Eli Murton
Directed by Matt Pinches
Costume Design by Anett Black
Sound Design by Matt Eaton
Production Manager, Company Manager, Set Design & Lighting Design by Hannah Walker
Deputy Stage Manager El Waldock
Evidence Room Designed by Beth Mann
Costume & WHAM Placement Alina White