A Murder With No Script

Published on: 2 Sep, 2025
Updated on: 3 Sep, 2025

The CSI cast

By Elaheh Baradar

There’s a murder mystery play in a theatre. Nothing new there… but there is no script!

Award-winning comedy group Crime Scene Improvisation (CSI geddit?), will arrive in Guildford on the September 6 to perform an entirely made-up murder mystery show at the Star Inn.

With choices such as the name of the victim and the type of murder weapon being made by the audience, each show is completely unique.

Sarah Kempton

Sarah Kempton, a member of CSI, who helped form the group 11 years ago, stated that: “Although I’ve done over 300 shows, it never gets boring, as every day the show changes.”

Over the years, the comedy troupe has gained a huge following, selling out roughly 97 per cent of their tickets each year and performing in venues such as the Edinburgh Fringe and Wilton’s Music Hall in East London.

Kempton highlighted that what makes CSI stand out is “…our special connection with the audience. CSI is different from other improv shows because we take a lot of input from the audience. They can get involved as much or as little as they like in a safe way that does not put them completely on the spot.”

Regardless of whether you have never seen an improv piece or seen many before, CSI produces shows that are intended to be accessible for all. The group loves introducing new people to the world of improv, with Sarah believing: “The skills of being an improviser are something that everyone can learn and use in everyday life. Improv teaches you to listen and accept people’s offers.”

Some people may assume that improvisation is just walking on a stage and making up lines, but there is actually a skill and technique to it.

Improv is made up completely on the spot and scenes often take an unpredictable turn. So a huge amount of practice goes on behind the scenes to make sure that the members can trust each other and collaborate effectively, with CSI originally training for five months before performing their first show together.

Kempton described improvisation as: “Like playing a team sport. You put all the training in behind the scenes, and when you walk onto that pitch, you are essentially improvising the game.”

However, there will always be unexpected moments, and Kempton said that these are the most joyful points of the show, as “the way we can surprise each other creates moments that make the show exciting”.

Sarah has had a passion for acting her whole life, growing up in a family of amateur actors, but her love for improv only formed after childhood.

After her first time doing improv, she remembered thinking: “I sort of hate that and love that at the same time, so I hunted out improv classes, and it all took over from there.

“There is something special about improv, as that show will only exist in that one moment.”

Kempton encourages any aspiring actors to explore all types of theatre as “there are many other paths that are not the traditional acting route”.

Even though Sarah is also a voice-over artist, she has described CSI as “without a doubt the highlight of my career. To see what started in a rehearsal room, going on to do all this, makes me really proud.”

The company has grown significantly within the past 11 years, with Sarah stating that: “We expand through the experience of our members. Our asset is the players – every single person who has joined has brought something new to the group.”

CSI offers a rare form of theatre, where the audience are not just watching the show, they are a part of it. Anything can happen in each performance, making it exciting and well worth a watch.

CSI is being performed at The Star Inn Guildford on Friday, September 6 at 9pm. For tickets click here.