Agatha Christie's Killing My Lobster Kills Racist Crime Themes

Although most of the sketches in Killing My Lobster's new show are set in the mid to early 20s^Th Century in England, one is in what is now the United States. It features two Agatha Christie enthusiasts who visit a medium in the hope of communicating with the late author through a séance. We quickly learn that this isn't the first medium they've tried – but their previous candidates were put off by the sheer number of racist epithets spewed by Christie's ghost. Although Christie's work is not often compared to that of American horror author HP Lovecraft, the two similarly wrote stories in which shockingly high body counts were often accompanied by sickening racism. (Look no further than the original title of And then there were no more.)

This combination of outsized influence and dated sensibilities makes Christie – and the crime genre she honed – perfect fodder for KML, which practically laid the foundation for this show. J'accuse! (runs on Sat/5 in the Eclectic Box), 2018 with a similar show about Alfred Hitchcock. Just as this cinematic misogynist revolutionized his medium with dynamic camerawork and streamlined storytelling, Christie also paved the path that eventually led to everything from the game Clue and its film series to Clue Knife out Films that satirize the genre.

Almost all of Christie's most famous creations get a nod in this show, with the first proper sketch featuring the mighty mustache and equally thick accent of Hercule Poirot (a hilarious Melanie Marshall) bragging about solving another murder. Unfortunately, the “photo evidence” on which his case is based is nothing more than a series of Rorschach images that reveal that the Frenchman is suffering from some Oedipal problems. Miss Marple (Laura Domingo) also drops by to do a quickie sketch involving a body (Marshall) that is less “dead” and more “dead.”

Still, the show wisely refuses to limit its focus solely to Christie stories. Make no mistake: many of the sketches feature characters sitting around in a drawing room while a self-appointed inspector pontificates at length about crime novels and where and what wiff wat (English accents are butchered quite often). Likewise, many unsuspecting victims are shocked to discover that the drinks they just consumed were heavily poisoned. There's also a clever sketch that pokes fun at Christie's racism and how English aristocrats sympathize with the Nazis over the Irish.

But the troupe (directed by Gina Bardi with a team of writers led by Mike Ottum) also leaves room for hilarious out-of-nowhere sketches like “Mr. Lee's Mysteries,” a mash-up of Mister Rogers Neighborhood And Dora the explorer in which the eponymous Mr. Lee (Andrew Chung) tries to maintain his composure while contemplating his wife's disappearance – a task made no easier by an obnoxious toddler (Domingo). So we watch a QVC show in which a rather sinister host (Domingo) and her malevolent co-host (Bailey Hopkins) react differently to the murder weapons they sell to spontaneous buyers on live television.

It is worth noting that in the last two sketches Marshall is seen as an unwilling participant in the “merry” goings-on. As usual, Marshall proves that she can do more with a pointed look than a hundred clowns can do a million tricks. Domingo and Chung bring their usual top quality to the KML, with the former easily switching between snooty Brit and obnoxious boy, while the latter, with his sizzling American gumshoe that really wants to show people he's American, almost steals the whole show. KML newcomer Chuck Lacson stays true to the veteran ensemble, particularly in a skit in which he and Chung play brothers on a yacht trip, where neither wants the other to survive. Regular KML contributor Bailey Hopkins rounds out the list, showing that she has an admirable sense of timing on stage as well as a comedic flair when writing.

It's a strong show that caps off KML's shortened year. Like any other vital arts organization, they have had to tighten their belts and transform to stay active. Therefore, the number of their shows was reduced to approximately one show per season rather than the monthly or bi-monthly production of previous years. They also experimented with their format and invited other members of the Bay Area performance community to participate. Maybe they know this is their season finale and have put a lot of energy into this show and it's paying off in the best way.

This was also her first full year as a resident of the Eclectic Box, Stage Werx's former black box in the Mission. It's great to see that this location is still thriving, although I hope the building's heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems will one day be upgraded. At the end of the hour-long show, the CO² readings on my Aranet4 peaked at 2,430 ppm. There are limited options in a very old building in a city where the price (and building permits) are often prohibitive.

Nonetheless, the show itself is a strong end to the year and a worthy reminder of why KML is one of the most popular indie troupes in SF. The tagline reads: “Sketch comedy inspired but not entirely endorsed by Agatha Christie.” Given that the author's depictions of non-whites often leaned, shall we say, “Goebbels-esque,” we probably should be grateful that she isn't there to give her opinion on it. But for anyone who enjoys imitating melodramatic murderers and the goofy detectives who catch them, this show is for you.

I blame! runs until Sat/5. Eclectic Box, SF. Tickets and further information Here.