Guildford Shakespeare Company (GSC) is scaling new heights in its latest production with a surprising new star: a Boeing 747.
Taking off from Dunsfold Airport, this 1970s festive murder mystery revolves around the suspicious demise of Captain Charlie Romeo, and passengers are enlisted to help solve the case aided (and occasionally misdirected) by two crew members and two passengers, all with baggage of their own.
We meet Paulina, the high-life-loving widow, Ferdinand, the sage-wafting student, Juliet, the sleuthing stewardess, and Mike Oscar, the suave but shifty co-pilot. Moving around the aircraft, passengers are encouraged to interrogate the characters, examining their motive and opportunity. Suspicions are seeded, revelations abound and puns are perfected—punctuated by The Avengers TV theme.
Whilst the tone is comical and the performances suitably camp, Eleanor Murton’s script for Boeing, Boeing Gone! also provides a real opportunity for any wannabe detectives in the audience to have some fun. Plenty of clues are provided or hinted at throughout the show, and the actors are generous with their impro, warming up the audience but also laying lots of groundwork ahead of the big reveal.
Rosalind Blessed, Daniel Burke, Skye Hallam and Noel White are a tight team and work hard to create a relaxed atmosphere for interaction but with enough pace to keep the mystery entertaining—no mean feat. They are aided, however, by Matt Eaton’s excellent sound design and GSC’s high-vis volunteers, who physically keep the audience moving from economy to first class and back again via the scene of the crime itself.
It is this element of the production which is truly unique and creates a memorable experience; reclining in first class while drinking Prosecco and aiming to solve a murder does not feature in your average night out at the theatre. More than one audience member commented on the comfort, even in the economy seats, and while moving around, the plane is occasionally cosy, the individual spaces lending themselves to the unfolding drama—each its own studio theatre. Congratulations to cast and crew for such a logistically difficult production—executed as ever with GSC's fine attention to care and detail.
Running at 80 minutes, Boeing, Boeing, Gone! is a refreshing festive alternative to panto and takes flight once the accusations start flowing. Immersive and gently interactive, there’s not a fourth wall in sight, so passengers are free to let their inner Columbo fly, Dave Starsky cardigan optional—it is 1979 after all.