Last year, Kate Story and Ryan Kerr of The Theatre on King (TTOK) hosted a murder mystery at the McDonnel Street Activity Centre, which proved to be a great success. On Friday, November 17th, they’re again rounding up the usual suspects for their second murder mystery luncheon, Murder on McDonnel 2: Murder Must Fool!.
Written by Simon Turner and directed by Kate Story, Murder on McDonnel 2 features a new dead victim and a new crime that can only be solved by one woman: local real estate agent Marianne Vandelinde of RE/MAX Eastern Realty.
Last year’s event saw a stable of regular TTOK players leave their King Street home to entertain a luncheon crowd at the McDonnel Street Activity Centre. As well as exposing their brand of theatre to a new audience, the event doubled as a fundraiser for TTOK.
“Last year’s show went really well,” says Ryan. “It was a fun show and the cast had fun and everybody left feeling really happy, so we decided we’d do it again.”
“We have the same cast as last year and even some of the same characters,” Kate points out.
“Some of the characters that got killed off aren’t in it,” Ryan adds, “But the same actors are playing new characters.”
Last year’s fundraiser helped support the theatrical work of TTOK and also allowed them to purchase a used computer to create posters and programs in-house. This year, proceeds from the luncheon will be used to purchase a street-front sign for TTOK.
Located off of the back parking lot of the building at 159 King Street, right next to the back entrance of The Wolf studios, TTOK is sort of a hidden gem without any street-front presence except for a sandwich board placed on the sidewalk on the night of an event at the theatre. Although TTOK is a popular spot in the Peterborough arts scene, for people not familiar with the location it can be difficult to find.
“People on their first visit to the theatre will often come in looking a little wild eyed and saying it’s really hard to find this place,” Kate explains.
“I’m sure there are people who haven’t been able to find it, or who have shown up late to a performance because they haven’t been able to find us,” Ryan says.
With a great cast of TTOK heavy hitters, Murder on McDonnel 2 is once again being written by Simon Turner, and takes place exactly one year after the last show.
“We’re back in the theatre world and a year has passed, and there is another murder,” Kate says. “Simon does a charming job of working in the genre of the murder mystery, but also within the world of the theatre community, with the bickering and egos.”
“Even though this show is a continuation, I have done it in a way where we explain a little bit of last year’s show at the beginning so that everybody is up to speed,” Simon explains. “So people can come into this year’s show without seeing last year’s, and it won’t matter at all. This is a new adventure and a totally different mystery.”
At the head of the show is Marianne Vandelinde, who is also a sponsor for the event. Although not an actress, she receives high praise from both Kate and Simon for her involvement in the show.
“The nice thing about Marianne is that she is a great performer although she is not an actress,” Kate says. “She’s a real estate agent, so it’s very brave that she does this. She’s great to work with, but she is also an outsider to the theatre scene. So, like her character as an amateur detective, in real life she is really an observer of the cultural weirdness of the theatre scene.”
“Marianne is wonderful at coming in to take the role of a sort of alternate universe version of herself, where she is experienced in solving mysteries,” Simon adds. “She’s been trained by a London detective named Shemlock Jones. Shemlock Jones was mentioned last year, but this year he makes an appearance and he is played by Matt Gilbert.”
The rest of the world of Murder on McDonnel 2 is created by a who’s who of TTOK talent, taking on the stereotypical stock players one would expect in a murder mystery taking place within the theatre world.
Dianne Latchford plays pompous theatre director Frida Hitchins, Naomi DuVall plays misunderstood playwright Samantha Beck, Dan Smith plays bitter actor Gregory Peychaud, Hilary Wear plays callous theatre critic Regina Ebner, and Lindsay Unterlander plays prima donna Meredith Margo.
Between the three-course meal, Marianne will interrogate the suspects, expose the twists and turns, and solve the case in this light and entertaining show. The afternoon will also feature live music by Chester Babcock, and prizes will be awarded to lucky audience members who solve the mystery in advance.
Tickets are $60 and include a three-course luncheon, a complimentary glass of wine (there is also a cash bar), and the performance from some of Peterborough’s most popular entertainers. It’s a perfect team-building activity for the office, or a way to spearhead your holiday celebrations while supporting one of Peterborough’s most beloved local theatres.
Tickets can be purchased at Black Honey (217 Hunter Street W), by calling 705-930-6194, or by emailing rkerr@cogeco.net.
