Two actors, a piano and one killer of an opening show - Murder for Two at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre

There are no gruesome ends, no bloody weapons, no body, no twists, no turns, no red herrings –there is a rubber chicken – no singing or jazz-loving detective with alcohol or relationship issues –only a plot thinner than a mystery in Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books.

Yet, hands up, it got me banged to rights – Murder for Two is magnificent spoof of the isolated mansion mystery on a dark and stormy night.

It is two hours of brilliant, zany, breathless, bonkers entertainment delivered by two actors – one of whom plays 13 roles – and a piano.

When famous murder-mystery novelist Arthur Whitney is found dead at his birthday party, it’s time to call in the detectives. The only problem is, they are out of town on another case.

Enter Officer Marcus Moscowicz, Babbage, a neighbourhood cop who dreams of climbing the ranks. With the clock ticking, it’s up to Marcus to prove his super sleuthing skills and solve the crime before the real detective arrives.

Moscowicz is The Bill’s Reg Hollis with ambitions to be Oxford’s Endeavour Morse. He sets about questioning the suspects in a bid to solve the crime, impress his bosses and win promotion.

All the other characters, each with a motive for murder, are played by Lucy Keirl.

With a twist of her leg, her voice an octave or two higher or lower and a range of accents, she transforms herself from a Norma Desmond-style fading star to a German psychiatrist, from a diva ballerina to a love-struck undergraduate, from a chief of police to next door, bickering neighbours and from an axe-murderer to a 12-strong boys’ choir. Really? Yes, really.

There are no off-stage, quick costume changes – just fabulous acting from Keirl and Babbage who milk the silly situation dry as the audience splits its side laughing out loud and forgets the plot is nonsense.

They sing, they dance – think low-key rather than Busby Berkeley-style razzmatazz – take turns at the piano – and operate/make all the sound effects. It’s low concept which delivers dividends.

The musical was written by Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair. Its lyrics are witty and the plot has nods to famous murder mysteries and their writers, including Agatha Christie and Perry Mason writer Erle Stanley Gardner.

Listen out, too, for the reference to the 1944 film noir To Have and Have Not which starred Humphrey Bogart and Lauren McCall.

Director Caroline Leslie deals a deft hand to the daft, dippy spoof and allows the Babbage and Keirl the space to showcase their phenomenal talent.

This award-winning Broadway show is gloriously silly, devilishly clever and fantastically funny. As well as a dose of poison, it has a big dollop of playful plagiarism/imaginative adaptation.

Audience participation is actively encouraged – and is a test to see if you have kept up with the fast-moving, ever-changing circumstances and characters.

As the tagline says: Tom Babbage and Lucy Keirl in Murder for Two are putting the laughter into manslaughter.

Whodunnit? To find out see the show. Murder for Two can be seen at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, from now until Saturday April 18.

Tickets are available from the box office on 01723 370541 and online at www.sjt.uk.com