THE CADAVER PALAVER
Bennett Cooper Sullivan, gentleman adventurer and rakish raconteur, returns with an astonishing tale of derring-do (and don’ts!) that puts the cad back in cadaver.
Recently escaped from a makeshift prison in Kandahar, in need of funds and and trying to rein in his opium habit to mealtimes only, the belle epoque's bravest, and most under-reported explorer arrives in London, only to become embroiled in yet another sinister plot, this time involving the Egyptomania craze sweeping through Britain. Following the trail to the malignant labyrinth of Edinburgh, he must turn to an old friend, and one of the preeminent surgeons of his day, for help.
Hearts will flutter. Monocles will plummet. Corsets may become strained. Combining the finest elements of a Sherlock Holmes novel, an Oscar Wilde soirée, and the best night between the sheets you’ve ever had, The Cadaver Palaver is a ripping yarn, sumptuously told by a master storyteller. With a death-count that makes the Crimean War look like picnic, this latest instalment in the Bennett Cooper Sullivan series is a deliciously macabre mystery from the overactive imagination of C.S. Carroll.
Following enthusiastically-received seasons in Adelaide and Melbourne, The Cadaver Palaver will delight in the Anatomy Lecure Hall at Summerhall for the duration of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 10:15am each morning, 31 July – 25 August, excepting 11 & 18 August.
Canberra and Sydney dates to be announced imminently!
Anatomy Lecture Theatre, Summerhall
Edinburgh Fringe
31 July–25 August 2025 (not 11 & 18 Aug)
10:15am
£10–£17
Tickets:
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-cadaver-palaver
Content Warnings:
Please note this production includes themes of death, sex, violence, and drug use.
This production has been supported by Canberra Youth Theatre through the Open Studio program.
REVIEWS
"...a master storyteller of the first order... ‘master’ is almost an understatement. There are many one-person shows in the current Adelaide Fringe that could take a lesson from him..." ★★★★1/2
"The sequel is worth the wait...part detective mystery, part adventure at the edge of known science, and with more than enough comedy asides and sexual innuendo to warrant a second listen."
"...this character he's created has such a genuine realness to him that I found myself being really invested in the story.... Literally, it's so stupid to say, through the power of his acting and simply telling a story that is genuinely well-written, he transported us there."
CREDITS
Writer/Performer
Christopher Samuel Carroll
Lighting Designer
Ash Basham
Promotional Photography
Novel Photographic
Production Photography
Valo Productions
PRODUCTION HISTORY
Courtyard of Curiosities, Adelaide Fringe
4–9 March 2025
The Butterfly Club, Melbourne
17–22 March 2025
Summerhall,
Edinburgh Fringe
31 July – 25 August 2025
Supported by Canberra Youth Theatre.
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