KENREX’s Jack Holden on bringing ‘unbelievable’ unsolved murder to London stage
Portraying 19 separate characters alongside live music from John Patrick Elliott, Holden brings the five-star true crime sensation to the Southwark Playhouse this February
By Dale Fox
On 10 July, 1981, in a small US town in Missouri, Ken Rex McElroy was shot dead in broad daylight. Despite 45 witnesses, no one was ever charged with his murder. After a decade of terrorising the community through theft, intimidation, assault and attempted murder, McElroy’s death marked the end of an era – and the beginning of a mystery that remains unsolved to this day.
This extraordinary true story is now being brought to life at the Southwark Playhouse with KENREX, created by Jack Holden and Ed Stambollouian. Following an acclaimed run at Sheffield Theatres that earned five-star reviews, the production blends Western drama with true crime storytelling, featuring live music by John Patrick Elliott.
In this exclusive interview with Attitude, Holden discusses how he and Stambollouian discovered McElroy’s story, the extensive research behind the production, and the challenges of portraying 19 distinct characters in what the Daily Telegraph called “a brilliantly theatrical, exhilarating and terrifying evocation of chaos.”
Where did the idea for the play come from?
Co-creator and director Ed Stambollouian and I have been obsessed with True Crime for years. We wanted to explore whether the genre would work on stage and, in so doing, how to retain all the suspense, surprise, shock and tension of hit podcasts like Serial or hit TV shows like The Jinx. We hunted around for the perfect subject until we came across the unbelievable but utterly true story of Ken Rex McElroy’s reign of terror over the town of Skidmore, Missouri in the late 70s and early 80s. It’s such a compelling story, full of wild characters, shocking twists and turns — and, crucially, it’s still unsolved to this day…
How much research did you do?
After working to create this play for several years, I’d say that Ed and I know this story better than almost anyone else. We’ve taken a small amount of creative license, but the maddest parts of the story are completely true. However, Ken Rex has become a bit of a myth; no two accounts of the story are exactly the same, so it’s hard to pin down the absolute truth – and so we’ve had to sift through tons and tons of conflicting accounts. But that’s exactly what makes the show so exciting.
How do you and John work together – do you write the script first and then he writes the music, or is it very much a collaborative process?
The first show John Patrick Elliott and I made together, Cruise, was a collaborative process from the very start. I wanted almost all of Cruise to be underscored with 80s-style synths, so we wove the music into that show from the off. KENREX is slightly different. Co-creator Ed Stambollouian and I wrote and curated the scenes we needed, then we gave John a list of numbers to come up with. I’m not exaggerating when I say that John is an absolute genius. He has the ability to interpret the scene, pace and mood to produce a piece of music which fits perfectly with the action. His music transports audiences right to the heart of Midwestern America – one moment you’ll be clapping along, the next your jaw will be on the floor.
Why do think audiences in the UK are interested in this story?
KENREX is a fable about people taking back control after years of being ruled by a ruthless tyrant. It asks the question: what would it take, and how much would you have to lose, for you to take the law into your own hands? At a time of global instability – which has only been intensified by the US election – it could be a prescient question. On a more basic level, I think British audiences are very open to US stories: we watch so much American TV and film, and we can all conjure up images of Small Town America. In the depths of the British winter, a trip to sun-baked Skidmore will be just what people need.
What do you hope audiences will take away?
Audiences are going to be buzzing as they leave the theatre. It’s a hi-octane show full of explosive, loud, funny and frightening moments. But I also think audiences are going to be left chewing over some uncomfortable questions. In the story of KENREX, justice doesn’t play out the way it should – and the audience will no doubt want to argue it out in the bar!
What skills do you have to apply in order to be able to play so many characters at any one time?
To clearly differentiate between the 19 characters I play, I use different vocal qualities – accent, pitch, placement, creak, drawl – and a range of physical markers: posture, gait, tempo, ticks and tells. So it’s important that I’m rested, energised and warmed up both vocally and physically. It’s essential that the audience know who is whom in every moment, but that’s really the fun of the show: the audience piece together the evidence, just like an investigator.
KENREX runs from 14 Feb – 15 Mar at Southwark Playhouse. For more info and tickets, visit the Southwark Playhouse website.