To stamp out confusion, Burke and Hare aren’t the duo behind one of West Port’s strip joints, but two of Edinburgh’s most notorious rogues.
The murderous pair plied their villainous trade during the Nineteenth Century and aimed to keep Edinburgh’s doctors, and their demand for fresh corpses, sated in return for enough money to finance their spiralling drinking habits. Obviously no good can come of this sort of enterprise and it’s only a matter of time before things go awry. Without giving too much away, it’s safe to say that justice is served, but this play is sold better on its presentation than its conclusion.
Skullduggery Theatre have decided to play the lead roles in a semi-Faustian way, with Hare leading Burke along the garden path to damnation. It’s obvious that he’s not stupid as he sows the seeds of murder and helps them grow in his partner’s mind, ensuring that most of the blood isn’t on his hands. The quality of this pair is apparent from the off. The dialogue flows fast and smoothly and generates a bond that can only be described as superb.
As with the company’s previous offerings, Burke & Hare whips along at a fast pace, with the tempo increasing with every gruesome murder the pair commit, until we find them wallowing in a mire of their own damnation.
Despite the material, this show is incredibly funny, which actually makes the more grisly bit worse to watch. In fact, it is rare to see this level of violence been portrayed so well without being grossly graphic. This isn’t to say that Burke & Hare isn’t graphic, and the occasional gasps from the audience show that this won’t be enjoyed by everybody.
It comes as no surprise that Skullduggery have managed to come up with another corker, but this shocking adaptation of one Edinburgh’s finest legends is clearly not for everyone – it’s hugely enjoyable, but it’s probably not a good idea to take the kids.
4/5
David Hodges
