Poison by Numbers Murder Mystery Scenario

A Murder Mystery Scenario
by Jenny Gilbert
 
What's it all about?
  • A murder mystery event in which the actors mingle and interact with the audience / guests
  • Lazy Bee Scripts provides the scenario
  • The actors improvise the dialogue based on the scenario
 
What's does Lazy Bee Scripts provide?
Lazy Bee Scripts supplies a pack of material for the performing company including:-
  • A "narrative arc" for the murder, covering
    • Essential events
    • Essential plot points
    • The resolution!
  • A background brief for each character
    • Character description
    • Character history
    • Motivation
  • General staging guidelines
    • Recommendations for preparation
    • Guidelines for improvisation (and how to deal with awkward members of the audience!)
    • Preparing the venue for the event (making sure that the staff don't throw the actors out for bad behaviour!)
 
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 scenario is run as if the audience has been brought together for a special occasion
  • 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...
 
What's in this Scenario?

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 bea social highlight turns to a disaster when one of the guests drops down dead!  
 
What do I need to Buy?
Lazy Bee Scripts charges two fees:-
  • A flat fee of £15 for the murder mystery scenario pack
    • Downloadable from the Internet as a pdf file
    • Containing all the essential materials
    • Can be used multiple times by your acting company (but you must pay the performance fee for each performance)
  • A fee of £20 for each performance of the scenario (regardless of the "audience" size)