Interactive murder mystery to mystify audiences

Published 4:10pm 7 July 2022

Interactive murder mystery to mystify audiences
Words by Ashleigh Howarth

Theatre goers will need to put their thinking caps on and sharpen their detective skills if they are to figure out who the murderer is in Mousetrap Theatre’s upcoming production, Death in Hollywood.

The audience will have the chance to quiz the cast members and write down clues during this interactive murder mystery, which will be held from July 29 to August 14.

Mousetrap Theatre President Karen Matthews says alternate endings to each show means the culprit will change each time.

“The way the shows works is the first act is like any other normal play – the characters are all established – and then at the end someone dies,” Karen says.

“During the second act, the audience gets to ask the characters questions to try and figure out who did it.

“Each person will also get question sheets which they can fill out along the way.

“But the killer will not always be the same, because we have learnt five alternate endings.

“The dialogue in each show is quite similar, but we drop in the appropriate clues depending on what version we are reading and acting out.

“So, if someone comes to the show on the Friday night and guesses the murderer, and they told their friends and came again on the Saturday night, they would be wrong.”

The show is set in Hollywood in the 1940s on a film set where a movie is being made.

But someone doesn’t want this movie to be made, and someone is murdered.

Why?

And who is the killer?

This is something the audience will need to figure out.

“The person who correctly guesses the murder and who has the most points will get a small prize,” Karen says.

Karen will be taking to the stage with a dozen other actors and actresses for the show, where she will play the newspaper reporter.

In addition to the whodunit, Karen says the evening will also feature a fashion parade, which is why she is encouraging people to get dressed up in their best Hollywood glamour or “dress to kill” outfits.

Audiences can also BYO drink and nibbles.

See our gallery of the cast below.

Seven decades of entertainment

This year marks a big milestone for the Mousetrap Theatre, with the group celebrating its 70th anniversary.

“We started 70 years ago as the Redcliffe Music and Arts Society but then the name was changed to Mousetrap in the 1980s when the organisation was incorporated,” Karen says.

“The name Mousetrap was chosen because The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie opened in London in 1952 and it sounded like a good name to use.”

Karen, who has been a member of Mousetrap since 1991, and President since 2013, is pleased to see the group is still going strong.

“I think we are up to about 160 members now,” Karen says.

“We also have been 25-30 kids who come along to our workshops, so it’s great to see the next generation coming through.”

Book your seats

Karen hopes to see a big turnout at their upcoming production.

“I hope the community will come along and support us this year, just like they have for the past 70 years,” she says.

Mousetrap Theatre’s upcoming performance of Death in Hollywood will be shown on July 29, 30 and 31, as well as August 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14.

Mousetrap Theatre is located at the Redcliffe Showgrounds, on Lamington Dr, Redcliffe.

To book, log onto their website.

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