"The energizing conceit of the play is its reliance on audience participation that adds considerably to the entertainment…The quick-witted Mr. Noonan really has to steer the show and he winningly does this with his great comedic timing, terrific improvisational skills, everyman persona, and by blowing a police whistle to establish order…New Yorkers can now finally experience the mirthfully compelling antics of 'Shear Madness.'"
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"The show is not high art, but of course that's not its aim. The jokes are cheesy and the characters border on the offensively stereotypical—a gay hairdresser? really?—but, amazingly enough, if you know that this is what you’re in for, it works...I couldn’t help but smile and enjoy being part of a show that is simply a really good time, because don’t we need those once in a while?"
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"The show exceeds its decades long promise of delivering enjoyably zany characters, clever surprises, and a rousing good time. But best of all, it lets you – yes, you – solve the crime at the center of the plot."
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"The actors are, as you would expect, excellent improvisors, prepared to answer any question an audience member may throw out to them during the interrogation section. This cast works seamlessly together and because of that the flow of the show is very smooth...If you're looking for a laugh, 'Shear Madness' has got you covered. With a script full of one liners, a truly comedic cast, and a different murderer every night you'll experience a one-of-a-kind night at the theatre."
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"At best, the humor is juvenile and rarely funny. The script changes often based on current events, so expect to hear jabs about Ben Carson, Donald Trump, the Clintons, Bill Cosby, and closeted homosexuals. Don’t expect anything clever, though. While marketing ensures us that these jokes are 'fresh', they are little more than recycled bits from late night talk shows without the punch."
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""Many of the laughs are of the wink-wink, self-consciously groan-worthy type, with characters who should know better nuking the language and setting off radioactive puns, double entendres, and malapropisms...What do I mean by groan-worthy? How about the close friendship between two women being called a Lebanese relationship? . . . Groan away, but there are so many you’ll eventually have to crack a smile...'Shear Madness' may have found yet another home for its worldwide franchise."
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"The lunatic confection at New World Stages indicates the opposite: all those years have helped create an indestructible engine for laughter that should keep its cast bankrolled for quite some time...since this is a murder mystery, it would spoil things to reveal too much more. Suffice it to say that 'Shear Madness' is a hoot."
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"Interactive theater comedies don’t get much daffier or more featherweight than the whodunit 'Shear Madness'...Given the glee that the show inspired at a recent press preview, it would seem that theatergoers are eager to take part in the murder mystery experience...The show requires a company skilled in both scripted and improvisational comedy, and director Bruce Jordan has at his disposal a sextet of performers who deliver both with panache."
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