CSI: CRIME SCENE IMPROVISATION
Underbelly Boulevard
★★★
“its mix of humour, inventiveness and on-the-spot storytelling remains a highly entertaining watch”
What do you get when you combine a man called Peter Butter, meteorology and cotton wool? ‘CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation’ of course! Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe and on tour after twelve years of acclaim, this entirely improvised murder mystery proves anything can become a crime scene.
Someone’s been murdered and it’s up to the audience to crack the case. After inventing a victim, occupation and murder weapon, we must help unmask the killer before they strike again, with plenty of laughs along the way.
Co-creators Sarah Kempton and Lee Apsey have built a show entirely made up on the spot – which sounds both exhilarating and a little reckless! The audience supplies the victim before the cast – Kempton, Apsey, Danielle Downey, James Cann, Nicola Lucey and Steve Bond – construct an entire whodunnit from there, aided by further audience suggestions along the way. Thankfully, chaos is kept in check by a sturdy structure. Starting at the crime scene, the cast scatter bizarre clues and red herrings before whisking us to the victim’s workplace to investigate the fallout and identify the culprit. Guiding proceedings is Apsey’s lead detective, who deftly draws out clues and keeps the narrative moving, creating the satisfying illusion of a fully plotted mystery. It’s an inventive twist on the traditional murder mystery, though with no predetermined killer we’re not scrutinising clues in the usual way. Instead, the fun comes from watching the cast weave a coherent story from an increasingly absurd set of prompts. To their credit, the final reveal – delivered by Downey at this performance – expertly folds forgotten details and throwaway quirks into a confession worthy of the most melodramatic TV villain. The result is funny, quick-witted and flies by.
The show zips along at a good pace, rarely lingering on any one scene for too long which the cast frequently punctuates with sharp closing gags. Everyone is clearly listening closely, skilfully incorporating comments from both the audience and other performers to gradually build the mystery. There are plenty of strong laughs too, from an impromptu debate about the maximum weight of cotton wool to an unexpectedly passionate correction of someone’s hairstyle. Not every section lands quite as cleanly, however. While some scenes pop with energy, others are a touch too talkative, softening the pace and diluting the comic impact. The odd bout of crosstalk obscures a few good lines. As emcee, Apsey could inject a touch more urgency into proceedings, sitting somewhere between a character and a workshop facilitator. Despite the wonderfully ridiculous ingredients supplied by the audience, the story never quite reaches the gleeful absurdity its premise promises. Even so, it’s a solid, entertaining showcase of improvisational storytelling, packed with quick thinking and genuine laughs.
The six-strong cast do well to keep momentum going, while maintaining clear distinctions between multiroling characters. Downey throws herself into every role, combining quick-fire wit with a wonderfully expressive face. Cann has razor-sharp comic timing, landing plenty of laughs and making a recurring joke funnier each time. Kempton is particularly adept at noticing every offer, creating the most fully realised character of the evening through her consistently believable reactions. Bond shows pleasing range, effortlessly shifting between hapless and crafty. Apsey brings a warm, welcoming presence that encourages audience participation, though perhaps undercuts his detective persona. Meanwhile, Lucey’s understated approach conceals a sly comic edge, even if she could afford to be a touch bolder at times.
The design suits the show’s bare-bones aesthetic, with dramatic lighting and a coordinated costume palette adding polish with personality. Despite the cast wearing microphones, the amplification feels inconsistent – though I can only imagine how hard it is to operate a show with no cues!
Twelve years on, it’s easy to see the appeal of ‘CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation’. While not every case will be a perfect fit, its mix of humour, inventiveness and on-the-spot storytelling remains a highly entertaining watch.
CSI: CRIME SCENE IMPROVISATION
Underbelly Boulevard then UK tour continues
Reviewed on 18th September 2026
by Hannah Bothelton
Photography by Matt Crockett
