Christian Dart: GUMSHOE Review
Written by Cathie for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
At New Wimbledon Theatre Studio is the office of the great Gumshoe detective, the best Noir detective the world has ever seen. Created by siblings Joanna and Christian Dart, where Joanna is the technical genius behind the scenes and is brilliantly acted out by Christian as a one-man show. This is one Noir where you are definitely in the firing line if you choose to sit in the front row, as every single person will be chosen to form part of the show in some way.
In this case, there has been a “murda” of a man called Garth. Therefore, we follow Gumshoe along his travels where he meets key characters such as his estranged lover Andrea Pangea and his father figure mentor, only one day from retirement. We see the character’s highs and lows in his varied career, his sad love life and time spent with countless female suspects and femme fatales, but all in a neat 1 hour running time, so nothing feels stretched or overwhelming.
The set design was simple but very powerful in creating the scene of the detective office and other traditional noir scenes, and I particularly enjoyed the newspaper articles scattered on the way up to the studio as they excellently set the scene for the comedic crime capers that ensue inside. The costuming was more suited for a heavy snow-strewn winter in NYC as opposed to an un-air-conditioned studio theatre, as was evidenced by a dramatic throwing aside of the coat in a gun chase, but very impressive nonetheless.
This was an absurd show, but truly phenomenal fun. I was in continuous giggles, and it has a fresh originality which makes the predictability of the genre even more fun to anticipate. It’s the perfect fringe show to leave with a giant smile, and its use of audience members for the plot means that it is unique enough that you can visit multiple times and not get bored. If you wish to step back in time and enjoy a truly joyful love letter to all things Noir, then this is the show for you.
Running at The ACT Studio, Kingston, 5 July 2025 (as part of FUSE International 2025)
Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 30 July to 24 August 2025
★★★★
