Vertigo Theatre’s Deadly Murder: A violent tale about power and wealth
By Hannah Caparino, February 28 2025—
Disclaimer: Deadly Murder features blood, violence, gun violence, and brief nudity. For more information, readers can check the Vertigo Theatre’s advisory page.
Vertigo Theatre is presenting David Foley’s twisted play Deadly Murder. The play constantly shifts power and manipulation from character to character, with the dialogue going back and forth between the characters. The plot is dynamic and audiences are required to give their full attention to the play in order to keep up with the storyline. The play is less of a who-dunnit and more of a game of cat and mouse, with the characters chasing their individual ambitions.
Deadly Murder takes place in a high-end New York studio apartment centering on three characters: Camille who’s played by Shari Wattling, Jay Northcot as Billy, and David Haysom as Ted. The action opens with Billy walking out into the living room in awe of the luxurious apartment that’s decorated with a variety of collectables and artwork. Camille follows Ted into the room with a catty attitude, indicating her headstrong and determined personality, working to keep her fortune from crumbling and going into the wrong hands. Billy is a calculated, manipulative and over-confident man who is always one step ahead and seduces Camille into becoming rich and famous. Ted is Camille’s security guard who acts as the strong-arm in Billy’s operation to blackmail Camille into giving Billy money and fame.
The trio of actors bring their own mannerisms to the characters and create a tense and high-pressurized environment. As the plot progresses, Billy first blackmails Camille with a tape and Ted is brought up to get rid of Billy and his persistence to get money from Camille. Billy’s aggression and badgering presses into Camille’s wealthy facade as she begins to crack and expose how she’s come into her wealthy lifestyle.
Ted enters the fold and is revealed to be in alliance with Billy, acting as Billy’s muscle ultimately tying up Camille so they both can find money and a specific jewel. While Camille uses her wits to dupe Billy and Ted as she threatens to call the police, the boys turn on each other and the fight escalates and Ted eventually overpowers Billy with a knife and stabs him. Despite Ted’s burly look, Haysom is tasked to carry the majority of the emotional beats in the story. Haysom portrays Ted’s desperation and confusion as audiences sympathize with his efforts of trying to get out of debt and manage his feelings for Billy, the man he just stabbed.
The play looks at how power is malleable and a fragile thing, using relationships as a vehicle to explore the relationship between wealth and power. Billy seduces Camille with the intent to blackmail her for money, and Billy starts a relationship with Ted to provide him with an empty promise of fortune. Wealth is the primary driver of the story and each of the characters want power and control over their main faults. Camille acts out of self-preservation, Billy wants power to incite his revenge and Ted needs power over his addiction and debts. Through deceit, exploitation and blunt force; the play ends by reinstating how power and wealth corrupt, and only the powerful stay in control.
Deadly Murder will be showing until March 2 at Vertigo Theatre. Information and tickets will be available online on the website.