Murder Mystery Theatre: it Really Shouldn’t Happen!
In the frantic arena of a live interactive murder mystery theatre event, it is sometimes difficult to keep a straight face, and the poor actor will inevitably ‘corpse’ (no pun intended).
An actor can find themselves playing a police officer intent on solving the crime or maybe even be the perpetrator of said crime. A serious countenance is essential for these characters. Even more so for the victim, lying prostrate, pretending to be dead. Laughing is not really an option here.
Murder Mystery Theatre: But It Did!
So, imagine the scenario. You are the police officer in a live-action murder mystery theatre show. Someone has shouted that there is a body lying by the Christmas tree in the corridor. You rush out, and sure enough, the poor victim lies there, having taken his last breath. All the guests come out to witness this gruesome scene. Unfortunately, he has inadvertently lain across the corridor, blocking access to the toilets!! A lady then informs you that she is desperate to go to the loo. You help her step across the legs of the body, but she stumbles, accidentally steps on his ankle, loses her balance, and falls into the Christmas tree.
Murder Mystery Theatre: But What of the Christmas Tree?
I have much respect for the actor playing the body that night, as he didn’t move or flinch and ‘stayed dead’! Whilst coming out of character is a sackable offence, I would not have blamed him in this instance! Fortunately, the lady righted herself and made her way to the lavatory and the murder mystery theatre night was saved!
However, her trip had dislodged the Christmas tree, and it slowly began to tip towards the victim, gathering pace as it fell. A quick arm from the police officer prevented it from entirely engulfing the Invitation2Murder actor, and it was replaced back in its pot.
The Baubles of Shame
Two red baubles had dropped off the trees’ branches. They then slowly rolled up and in between our actors’ legs and finally stopped, nestling in his crotch – looking for all the world as if the poor fellow had some sort of hideous disease. As you can probably imagine, the guests were in stitches. A serious murder mystery theatre crime scene became a comedy classic. And I can reliably inform you that the inspector corpsed too!
When the guests had disappeared, and it was safe for the body to get up he asked what all the commotion was – as he’d had his eyes shut all the time and hadn’t got a clue what had happened.
