Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...Kooky characters, bawdy humor and poultry of unusual size: all are on offer at "A Fine Feathered Murder: A Miss Marbled Mystery," a world premiere by Hell in a Handbag Productions. Written by artistic director David Cerda and directed by Cheryl Snodgrass, the raucous comedy parodies one of Agatha Christie's most beloved characters - Miss Jane Marple, the kindly old woman from a quaint English village whose keen understanding of human nature and powers of observation make her a formidable amateur detective."
Chicago Reader
- Somewhat Recommended
"...But manic madcap is a sprint, not a marathon, and at two hours-plus, there's not a ton to cling to story- or character-wise that justifies that running length. Apparent line issues during opening night also kept some key scenes from taking off. Feathered Murder almost presents itself as too much of a real mystery rather than the absurdist and silly parody that it is. And while no show is defined by its venue, (I've no doubt that part of Hell in a Handbag's survival has been its openness to adapting to different spaces) this does feel more like a 70-minute experience in a lounge or bar than a multi-act one in a traditional proscenium. At twice that length, it somehow comes out half-cocked."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...What is it about David Cerda, every show he does, is top notch, full of surprises, and always makes the audience laugh. This show is fantastic, and if it doesn't win a David award, then the whole committee needs to have their humor level checked. This show brings on the entire Hell in a Handbag cast, over 12 cast members in this production. And everyone's top notch, the two main stars are of course David Cerda, and the very talented and wonderful Miss Marbled Ed Jones. Everything about this show was top notch, from the sets, the lighting, and the sound was perfect, something plaguing a lot of small theatres this year. Special thanks to Bill Morey and Beth Laske-Miller for excellent costumes, and Pamela L. Parker for outstanding set design."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...And now that I think about it, that's a pretty good metaphor for this show. Everything is a notch or two better than it needed to be to succeed at the goal of a loving parody of Agatha Christie. Happily, every component of the show, both on stage and off, went beyond what was merely needed to succeed. The result was not just a good parody, but a good show in itself. It achieves what I consider to be the height of good parody, where if you squint, you might think for a moment you were watching the original. Sure, in the original, it's not all drag queens, but still."
The Fourth Walsh
- Recommended
"...Cerda’s newest offering is a spoof on the Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple’s detective series (the original and British version of Angela Landsbury’s “Murder She Wrote” American knockoff). Playing Lady Violetta Fowler in his signature Joan Crawford flourish, Cerda ensures the audience understands it’s ‘Marbled’ not ‘Marple’. A Handbag tradition, Cerda and his Handbaggers often break the fourth wall. They amusingly utter a comment or give a side glance momentarily dropping the formality of theatre to let the audience in on the joke. It’s this feeling of being an ‘insider’ that endears and builds Handbag’s solid fan base."
Picture This Post
- Recommended
"...DO conflate this murder magnet with Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, playwright David Cerda's pen seems to say, but forget about that heteronormative lens of the famed mystery writer's imagination. A Fine Feathered Murder: A Miss Marbled Mystery is classic Cerda and Hell in a Handbag skewer of pop culture. This one though-starting with the monkey stew line and then letting loose more murder-so-fowl puns one could ever think to conjure, seems to have a wild thread of vegan hot flashes running through it - as the WHODUNIT murder of a chicken agribusiness magnate whom everyone hates unfolds."
NewCity Chicago
- Recommended
"...Could you solve the mystery in Hell in a Handbag's "A Fine Feathered Murder: A Miss Marbled Mystery"? With a lucky guess, perhaps. But if you're hung up on the loose plotting, you've lost the point. If you've ever rewatched the 1985 film "Clue," a clear reference point for "Fine Feathered Murder," you quickly pick up that every piece of evidence is a red herring. There never was a solution. The pageantry was what mattered, with each character getting the spotlight as the eye of suspicion passed over them. The Hell in a Handbag team understands and leans into this, making the murder-mystery genre fit the company's melodramatic camp sensibilities like an elbow-length glove."
