A Dinner Theatre Murder Mystery
by Karen Ince
What's It All About?
- A Murder Mystery for an acting company to perform to an audience
- The cast perform a script
- 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
- Suggested timings
- A "role pack" for each character
- The scripted elements for 2 scenes
- A character brief
- The Solution - 6 different endings (to allow multiple performances without spoilers!)
- An explanation of who dunnit and why!
- Additional Materials
- Set plans - for the audience to see the location of the murder.
- Detective Sheets for the audience to submit their accusations
| What's an Interactive Murder Mystery? |
- A combination of drama from an acting company and detective work from the audience
- In this case
- The event is run during a meal as a mixture of a set drama and interaction between players and audience
- Two acts of drama are played out before the audience; the second act takes place at a 'charity dinner and fun casino' event, where the audience are also guests
- The acting company perform the two acts, at the end of which a murder takes place
- Eye witnesses come forward
The suspects are identified and interrogated by the audience
The audience try to spot the murderer
- This Mystery Needs
- An 'acting company' of 11 people, including at least 3 men and 4 women
- 2 sets including furniture
- Estimated run times (which may vary enormously!)
- Scripted elements: 80 minutes
- Improvised elements: 5 minutes
- Audience interrogation: 10 minutes
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| Want to know more? Download the (pdf) Taster Pack |
What's the Mystery Here?
Chris is a successful businessman, recently widowed, living with his daughter Becca. Their life is interrupted by the arrival of his late wife's long-lost cousin, Nigel. In spite of arguments and suspicious behaviour, Nigel joins Chris and Becca's party and a charity dinner and casino event, organised by their friend, Helen. At the charity dinner, (in addition to the audience!) the guests include:
Chris a middle-aged, widower, successful businessman.
Becca Chris's daughter. Returned home to live after university, working as a junior reporter on the local paper.
Viv Chris's cleaner. Prefers to be called a housekeeper and would prefer to be thought of as part of the family.
Jackie their neighbour. Was the best friend of Angela, Chris's late wife. A fussy, 'mother-hen' type, especially with Becca.
Barry Jackie's husband. A bit of a drinker, gambler.
Helen A glamorous local do-gooder, very active in raising money for charity. The hostess of the charity dinner and casino
Nigel the long-lost cousin of Chris's late wife. A ladies man on a visit from South Africa.
Master of Ceremonies who controls the proceedings
Eyewitness One
Eyewitness Two
Eyewitness Three
Half way through the charity dinner, what could be a jolly evening is marred - by the discovery of a body...