It’s mid-term in Cambridge. No one’s quite sure if it’s Week 6 or 7, but thankfully, theatre is still a constant presence. Despite this, I headed into First Degree’s Murder with a little trepidation, as I wasn’t sure how seriously this show was going to take itself. I didn’t know if I could take another long, serious play: I just had to produce two essays in the span of three days; but by the end of the play, those residual tensions had long since abided. I cannot reiterate just how much fun this show is. Wild, quirky, desperately needed, fun.

Set in December 1947, the play takes place in the wonderfully wacky world of Newnham College, where four friends await the university’s ruling on whether women will be allowed to receive degrees. This is upended when Irisa Kwok’s Florence turns up covered in blood and having just run over a fellow with her bike. After quickly accepting that their friend is guilty of manslaughter, the group agree to fling the corpse into a cupboard until the vote has been concluded: only to find that keeping this a secret is a lot more complicated than it initially seemed.

What follows is a whirlwind of events so wild and unpredictable that merely describing them would sound absurd, but on stage, they unfold in a manner that feels both dramatically organic and consistently comical. So much so that when one of the cast openly ‘corpsed’ mid-dialogue, it felt neither unprofessional nor out of place; the entire Playroom was simply caught up in the sheer joy of the moment unfolding in front of them. You can’t help but applaud writer-director Holly Sahota for recreating the feel of a classic sitcom within this production. The humour is, undoubtedly, some of the best you’ll see in any Cambridge production this year.

“What follows is a whirlwind of events so wild and unpredictable that merely describing them would sound absurd”

The play’s confident direction and performances do well to mask its few flaws. The characters themselves are a little conventional, such as the play’s “doddering old bozo who can’t even take being hit by a bike,” Professor Holinshead, the victim of Florence’s tyres. Whilst their persona is largely confined to that of a sexist wind-up doll stuck on repeat, Alex Thompson ever-brilliant line delivery means that this is unlikely to bother any but the most pedantic. There is maybe some criticism to be levied at how quickly the core cast moves past the (admittedly minor) crimes they commit in addition to manslaughter, but the play’s willingness to embrace its wackiness ensures that this never becomes a serious issue.

The play’s more serious subject matter – that of the barriers against women’s education - is handled well not only in its depiction of vitriolic opposition embodied by Holinshead but also in its highlighting of male apathy. This is typified by Atticus (Aryan Misra), Florence's love interest, who briefly questions why this issue is so important to the group. Whilst I felt the play’s exploration of this veered slightly towards overt didacticism, women’s right to an education is an important issue that remains pertinent today. It is an issue which Sahota and the rest of the production’s publicity team, led by Natalie Ng, have done well to highlight. You can find the link to their GoFundMe in support of Plan International, a charity dedicated towards achieving educational equality, here.

“I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for a spin-off show”

A play like this simply wouldn’t succeed without an outstanding cast and crew. Irisa Kwok is a star, serving brilliantly as the production’s anchor, bringing the show to life with their effortless chemistry with everyone onstage. Meanwhile, Evelyn Lewis delivers an endearing performance as Lyla, whose quiet charm — and unsettlingly detailed knowledge of body decomposition — adds a delightful taste of dark humour to the ensemble.

My favourite performance came from Anaïs Pelletreau’s Celia, who delivers a masterclass in maximising stage time without overshadowing the surrounding action. From her expressive physicality to her movements across the stage to her (surprisingly accurate!) animal impressions, Pelletreau’s performance ranks among the best I’ve seen from a supporting actor in Camdram - I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for a spin-off show. That’s not to overlook Nina Winstone’s Betty, who arguably nails the sitcom-style delivery the best out of anyone in the cast. As the group’s natural leader, she shines in moments when the characters struggle with their next move, and I found myself wishing there had been even more material for her to work with. I was also happy to see another great lighting set within the Corpus, particularly after Far Away’s blew me away last week: Hillary Qiu, take your bows!

All in all, I can’t recommend First Degree’s Murder enough if you’re looking for an easy, fun, guaranteed quality play to enjoy this week. With a runtime of just under an hour, the show does not overstay its welcome at all and continues the trend of the Corpus slowly becoming my favourite venue in Cambridge. What a delightful show, and, to borrow a phrase from the end of it, “What a hell of a start” for the writing career of Holly Sahota.

‘First Degree’s Murder’ is showing at the Corpus Playroom from Tuesday 4 until Saturday 8 March, at 7pm.

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