Steelworks A Cappella group presents a murder mystery, Vocal Vengeance, which is like an musical version of Cluedo. With the lead member of their collegiate a cappella group murdered, we discover (through song of course) which members of the group have a vendetta against the main diva. Think Murder on the Orient Express meets Pitch Perfect.
Very original and clever though the performance was a disappointment
The show begins with the dramatic death of the leader of the group. As any a cappella group would, they all melodramatically cry while performing the most dramatic song ever and "mourn" her; but it's clear there was some foul play as the Detective Inspector takes all the members of the group in for questioning and we then establish the main suspects.
Each character has their own song to match their personality. I thought this was hilarious; a song about unrequited love for a wallflower who can’t confess her love for a fellow aca-member; a Britney banger to go for the camp aca-member who whips the rest of the group into shape, and so on and so forth.
The cast harmonise fabulously, and there is great sound quality. But some of the cast overact a bit; others underact, and a few stumble in their dialogue, with people speaking over one another at points. Certain members of the cast are just reciting the lines the way you might in rehearsal, not giving much emotion or expression. It's also difficult to tell when a scene changes, and that becomes confusing trying to figure out where they are. It's a shame, because the script is decent. Multiple characters have multiple motives for murder, and that keeps it fresh and leaves you questioning throughout the show.
Vocal Vengeance is a fun idea for a show, and constructing a murder mystery through a cappella is very original and clever; though for me the performance was a disappointment.
