A Dinner Theatre Murder Mystery
by Ian McCutcheon
 
What's it all about?
  • A murder mystery event in which the actors play two brief scripted scene, then the audience / guests review the evidence and solve the mystery!
  • Lazy Bee Scripts provides the opening script, evidence packs and the script for the denouement
  • The actors play the script, the audience reviews the evidence and accuses the suspects, then the master of ceremonies reveals (via a solution script) whodunnit.
 
What's does Lazy Bee Scripts provide?
Lazy Bee Scripts supplies a pack of material for the performing company including:-
  • An "Organiser's Overview" including general staging guidelines
  • The Opening Script (Acts 1 and 2)
  • Final (Master of Ceremonies') Script - the denouement! 
  • Additional materials
    • Four pieces of (written) evidence to be evaluated by the audience
    • Accusation sheets (for the audience to supply their guesses for "who dunnit")
 

What's a Dinner Theatre Murder Mystery?

In this case...

  • The acting company perform a scripted opening scene, at the end of which a murder is discovered
  • The cast are taken off to be questioned by the police and meanwhile the police's evidence is shared with the audience by means of a series of written briefs 
  • The audience try to spot the murderer
  • The acting company (in this case the MC) performs a final scripted scene in which the murderer is revealed
 
What's in this Mystery?

Pearl Barley is a devious, scheming woman, who has tricked her husband Charlie into marriage, and is about to take him to the financial cleaners. She also plans to blackmail two ‘old friends.' So is she playing a dangerous game by inviting them to join her and Charlie for a weekend at their country home...?  Pearl's guests are:

Charlie Barley: Her wealthy husband, who foolishly signed a damaging pre-nuptial agreement.
Chester Drawes: Charlie's business partner.
Sam Pulbottle: A successful doctor, and former schoolmate of Pearl's.
Rick O'Shea: An acquaintance of Charlie's, of dubious repute.
Isla White: A well known television weather presenter, and former schoolmate of Pearl's.

The script also calls for a Master of ceremonies whose role includes distributing further evidence before the accusations, and revealing the solution at the end.