You’ve heard of Sherlock Holmes? Well, this is definitely not a rip-off of that. What? Their names sound incredibly similar and they’re practically the same person? No, of course not!

Anyhow, writing and directing Knickers and Gnomes Are On the Case – or KAGAOTC as we like to call it – has brought constant joy to my life during lock down. Even when I’m bogged down with an essay due the next day which I haven’t started the reading for yet (please don’t tell my DoS!) I know I can always add a terrible pun to the script, photoshop a cast member’s face onto Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, or hop on a Zoom call rehearsal to brighten up my day.

While adapting to the whole virtual theatre landscape has been tough on us all, I had a little practice in lockdown one – ah, the days when it was known merely as ‘the lockdown’ – and I find that audio is a medium which creates endless possibilities; you only have to say something for it to become reality! Our team of dedicated sound editors are working tirelessly to thread this patchwork into a seamless narrative and find exceedingly specific sound effects in the depths of the internet – cleaning the spit out of a trumpet, anyone? – pieced together with the soaring notes of Lily Blundell’s wonderful music. And whilst rehearsing over Zoom is not quite the same as being in person, it has given me the opportunity to meet a group of wonderful people I might not have known otherwise. Each rehearsal brings something new, whether it’s laughing at some ridiculous joke, discovering we have in fact met in person but both forgot, or watching a cast member scoff katsu curry in their face in between recording scenes – listen out for the unmistakable sound of homemade panko breadcrumbs!

“The people are definitely what I love most about theatre and there are so many amazing people in this production”

I’ve learnt so much about writing comedy through this process – I thought I’d given up on comedy after my stand-up dalliances last year, but turns out a series somehow combining Cluedo, Miss Marple, and Scooby Doo into the same mystery kind of needs to be comedic. But I have had such great support from script consultants Nathan Galpin, Cian Morey, and William Palmer – yes that is my little brother, and yes he might have more Camdram credits than you – be jealous. They have helped me mould the scripts into something ridiculous and hilarious, if I do say so myself, adding many many jokes, instructing me on character development, and telling me when my dad jokes are just too awful to be included.

The people are definitely what I love most about theatre and there are so many amazing people in this production – I don’t have the space to thank them all here! Special mentions though to our producers, Charlotte and Natalia, for organising things and going with my crazy publicity ideas; Cody Knight for her groovy graphics; Karisma Drage for being The Best Assistant Director Ever (and that’s an official title); Kit Treadwell for wearing an inordinate number of hats to our murder mystery social; and every single cast member because they’re all great and deserve a LAFTA. You can probably tell how much I love this team by how gushy this preview is – is it a preview for the show or a love letter for the crew? Who knows? But, either way, they are definitely worth it and you should come listen to all their hard work.

If you’re sitting at home with a Knickers-shaped hole in your life, tune in to KAGAOTC when it airs on Spotify and Apple podcasts, Mondays and Fridays throughout March (first episode airing 5th March!). Plus, like our Facebook page to keep up-to-date with all our latest shenanigans. Ever thought you’d be a dab-hand at solving a murder? Ever wondered what it sounds like when someone rips off a pantsuit to reveal a catsuit? Ever questioned the existence of Finland? Then you should listen to Knickers and Gnomes Are On the Case!