A Murder Mystery Scenario
by Jenny Gilbert
What's It All About?
- A Murder Mystery for an acting company to perform to an audience
- The actors improvise the dialogue based on plot and character briefs provided by Lazy Bee Scripts
- The cast question one another based on their character briefs
- The audience members question the cast
- The audience try to work out whodunnit
What Does Lazy Bee Scripts Provide?
Lazy Bee Scripts supplies a pack of material, including:-- An Overview for the Organiser, including
- Guidelines for preparing the mystery
- Guidelines for running the mystery
- Suggested timings
- A "narrative arc" for the mystery
- Key plot points
- Essential events
- Character Briefs for each character
- Character description
- Character history
- Motivation
- The Solution - 6 different endings (to allow multiple performances without spoilers!)
- Explained by the detective
Note that Lazy Bee Scripts does not provide a script for the dialogue.
Because the actors are interacting with the audience, it is not possible to stick to a fixed script. Instead the actors improvise dialogue based on the "narrative arc."
| What's a Murder Mystery Event? |
- The audience members are brought together for a fictitious 'special event' (and encouraged to dress appropriately for the occasion). A murder takes place, which the participants are invited to solve.
- In this case
- The event is an advanced viewing of paintings by the artist Charles Crimson
- The "audience" has the role of the people invited to the party
- As the actors arrive and mingle, the plot develops until one of the characters is found murdered...
- This Mystery Needs
- An 'acting company' of 7 people, including at least 3 men and 3 women
- One set comprising furniture and flats or backdrops
- Estimated run times (which may vary enormously!)
- Improvised elements: 70 minutes
- Audience interrogation: 15 minutes
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| Want to know more? Download the (pdf) Taster Pack |
What's the Mystery Here?
Everyone in the village who has money has been invited to artist Charles Crimson's workshop to have an advanced viewing of his paintings and sculptures, which he intends to exhibit to the public the following week.
Present at the viewing are:
Charles Crimson - the Host, late 20s to early 30s.
Oliver Ochre - single, early 30s to late 40s.
Professor Cadmium - could be male or female, late 40s.
Monica Mauve - a single artist, in her late 30s.
Sandra Sienna - in her late 20s. She acts the dumb blond but is far from it.
Sidney Sienna - in his mid 40s, a roguish dealer, who can't stop flirting.
Vicky Vermillion - a model, in her mid 20s.
An event which should be a social highlight turns to a disaster when one of the guests drops down dead!