★ ★ ★ ★

Reviewer - Annie

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review.

I arrived at The Adelphi theatre but not for your usual trip back to the future, but instead for a deep dive into the career and studies of the amazingly talented David Swindle.

Titled ‘The Scottish Detective’, Swindle is touring the UK with his new show ‘Makings of a Murderer’. It takes the audience on a journey through his work, findings and conclusions on some of Britain’s darkest individuals.

A true treat for any true crime detective; Swindle’s show is full of shocking details and gruesome facts. What I loved most about the show and Swindle’s sweeping statement was that this is not a chance to glamourise or romanticise murders - like what we have seen more and more frequently in TV series and shows across streaming services. Swindle is keen to set the record straight from the start that these are evil individuals and are not to be romanticised in the slightest.

By setting the tone so early, it was really interesting to view the evidence given throughout the show with total disbelief and horror - which is how we should be viewing murder cases, not with the awe and excitement we are perhaps led to feel from shows and films which are more and more frequently being released.

There has been a growth in people’s curiosity to study and understand the mind of a killer - and Swindle excellently delves into this topic without glamorising it in the slightest. His show is filled with knowledge and evidence but without the excitement of playing down the hideousness of these people.

David Swindle is known for being the detective to have caught Peter Tobin and it was an honour to hear him talk about the case - not only for his passion and commitment to his work but also for the utmost respect and loyalty he holds towards the victims.

Swindle talked a lot about the victims and the importance of not forgetting their names. All too often we remember the names of the killers but not those of the victims. I thought this was an interesting point to make - I personally could rattle off a handful of murderers’ names but would struggle to do the same for any of their victims.

At the core, these are innocent people who lost their lives to evil humans.

Swindle himself says he hates to admit it but murderers are “clever individuals”. We can study their patterns and intents but it is hugely unlikely for these people to just suddenly decide to kill one day, there are often signs from childhood which can potentially lead us to consider someone to end up on this path.

There is no doubt of Swindle’s expertise on the subject, he has tirelessly researched and lived through these events first-hand - and his show is a homage to the victims lost across his career. It was a privilege to listen to him speak and remind us of these people.

If you are a true crime fanatic, or fancy something a little different to your standard show, I strongly urge you to get tickets to ‘Makings of a Murderer’.