This comedy/mystery is a “cheeky thriller” that centers women detectives and victims instead of the killer. In 1893, a serial killer not unlike Jack the Ripper terrorizes actresses in the Battersea district of London. As the police have been unable to stop this murderer, dubbed “The Battersea Butcher,” three women who live in Mrs. Hunter’s Lodging House for Ladies take up the task. But without modern forensics, access to crime scenes, or cooperation from the authorities, how can they succeed? A character-driven mystery that examines the obstacles facing women, then and now.
A Theatre Bay Area-Recommended Production! The TBA Awards are the Bay Area’s first ever peer-adjudicated theatre awards. They recognize and celebrate excellence in the Bay Area’s diverse, dynamic theatre scene. Also named a San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle “Go See!” production.
Reviews
“Enticingly fun to watch … The real beauty of Patricia Milton’s fresh-off-the-press script (she says in the program that she finished it during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings) is that this captivating mystery and commentary about men’s societal disregard for both women’s safety and sagacity is peppered with ongoing, laugh-out-loud humor.” Four and a half stars (of five) ~ TheatreEddys
“Audiences attending The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective can expect an exhilarating ride as Milton’s signature fast-paced, deeply-researched style tells the story of two sisters who run a boarding house for Single Ladies in London, but find vocational distraction as self-appointed investigators … A bone-chilling and unexpectedly hilarious thriller.” Lou Fancher, East Bay Express
“… a charming tale of mayhem and murder … an entertaining story with wit and a modern sensibility.” Emily S. Mendel, Berkeleyside
“These ladies give Sherlock Holmes a run for his coattails! They are fighting against a patriarchal system that wants them to fail... Central Works keeps us laughing and guessing. We are witnesses to women breaking new ground.” Evelyn Aravalo, Theatrius
“Milton’s dialogue is richly enjoyable throughout, a sort of lovingly playful homage to Victorian literature’s penchant for wordiness. The whodunnit aspect cleverly incorporates the genre staple of a coded message for the audience to puzzle over alongside the heroines. Never far beneath the surface — indeed, poking through at every opportunity — is the toxic masculinity that’s the real villain of the piece, and one that will not be vanquished by solving the murder mystery.” Sam Hurwitt, San Jose Mercury News/East Bay Times
“A gifted writer with a biting sense of humor who often focuses on stories of female empowerment, The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective may be one of [Milton’s] best efforts to date … two of the script’s shining assets are the intelligence with which its narrative has been crafted and the skill with which each plot twist has been planted. George Heymont, HuffPo and My Cultural Landscape
“The play takes on topical and political subjects and looks at them comprehensively… brainy, but in a very entertaining way” Jamie Robles, The Piedmont Post
Read it on the New Play Exchange.
Research/dramaturgical insights page.
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Photos
A gallery of photos from the world premiere of The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective at Central Works, May-June 2019. All photos by Jim Norrena, ACT OUT Photography. Cast: Chelsea Bearce as Katie, Alan Coyne as #NotAllMen, Stacy Ross as Loveday, and Jan Zvaifler as Valeria.
