From the mind of writer-performer Daniel McVey comes a piece that is part murder-they-wrote, part surreal storytelling. A Foot is Not an Appropriate Prize for the Tombola is a highly original hour of campy fun, placing the audience in a small English village replete with a Cluedo-style cast of characters and an unsettling find at the fête.
Our mistress of ceremonies is Lydia (McVey), a recognisable character who is the lynchpin of the play. She is Miss Marple meets Jessica Fletcher, nosey and full of village gossip, yet certain she can solve the crime. All other roles are played by members of the audience, whether as puppeteer or script-assigned local suspect, with additional voiceovers from McVey to try and keep the piece moving.
Lydia is a superb creation, and McVey clearly enjoys portraying her idiosyncrasies, earning a lot of trust and warmth which is vital for the amount of buy-in they need from the audience. The plot builds from the original discovery (is it a crime or a shared delusion?), and only gets stranger from there, as the whodunnit morphs into something a bit more like science fiction.
The festival is certainly the place to find those eager to participate, however relying so much on volunteer performances means that McVey sometimes loses control of the pace (and the unpredictable contributors). Pre-recorded lines are at too low a volume and lack the dynamism of McVey’s on-stage performance, sapping a lot of energy when they could just be delivered by the actor in front of us.
The fact that McVey is still using a script themselves – no matter how well-disguised as the fête “master schedule” – adds to a feeling this is a work in progress rather than a finished product. The plot development is genre-bending stuff, and the latter portion of the show feels unmoored and unsure what it is trying to say. Some political messaging emerges, but is not fully realised – which is a pity as it felt like a meaningful commentary was merely inches away.
McVey is a highly likeable and charismatic performer, and watching them as their drag alter-ego made this show a lot of fun, despite the plot losing its way. As the writer, performer and director, McVey perhaps needs an outside eye to help polish and develop this piece – they certainly know how to make camp and enjoyable theatre, and this play has all the right elements.
By Deborah Klayman
A Foot is Not an Appropriate Prize for the Tombola plays at Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh until August 31st 2026.
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