Button up your plaid shirts, pull on those leather boots, and don’t leave behind your notepads and critical thinking skills, because it’s time to join the hoedown and solve the Murder at the Blue Moon Saloon.
There will be cowboy hats aplenty in Bobcaygeon from July 16 to 26 when Globus Theatre is transformed into a saloon — and a crime scene — for the professional theatre company’s annual summer murder mystery dinner theatre event.
With Western-themed food and cocktails, a barn venue that’s gone back in time to the Wild West, and a colourful cast of suspects with deadly motives, the show promises audiences a rootin’ tootin’ good time.
“It appeals to everybody differently,” says Globus Theatre’s artistic director Sarah Quick, who wrote and is directing the show. “Some people come because the food is great, some people come because it’s a raucous night out with friends or family, and some people will come because they want to solve the mystery.”
Regardless of why audience members come, Quick assures “It’s going to be a hoedown.”
Murder at the Blue Moon Saloon continues Globus Theatre’s tradition of staging annual murder mysteries over the past 20 years, originally only in advance of the Christmas holidays and then expanding with an additional summer show in recent years, with each show being an immersive experience that’s so much more than just a play.
As guests enter the theatre dressed in their best Western attire, they will be able to take photos with a themed backdrop in the decorated room and might just get the chance to kick up their feet for a line dance.
Then, as guests are nibbling canapes and enjoying a drink or two, they will be introduced to the curious cast of characters and learn why each has stumbled into the Blue Moon Saloon. The murder will occur just before the themed main course buffet is served.
During dinner, the six characters will go around to the tables and answer any questions audience members may have to try to narrow down the suspects. After another staged performance, a question-and-answer period will give audience members the chance to accuse various characters, who will then be put on the spot to come up with their alibis and excuses.
Finally, during the dessert buffet, audiences will fill in a form outlining who they think committed the murder before the big reveal.
“It’s different from any other theatre show — you’re not just sitting there watching,” says Peterborough performer and improviser Kerry Griffin, who will be one of the suspects in the show. “You’re talking to the characters as much as you want to and you’re involved in the show, so there’s that interactivity and fun and, of course, some people take solving the murder very seriously.”
Griffin, an award-winning alumnus of Second City, has been acting and improvising in Globus Theatre’s murder mystery dinners for the past decade, having embodied many suspicious characters and culprits, including a womanizing carny fair operator, a rich bachelor, and an Elvis impersonator.
Though he has decades of experience improvising, he explains that the murder mysteries are especially challenging because they are a combination of improv and script. The actors must stick to their characters while also answering questions from audience members on the fly, which — despite the preparation each actor undertakes and the extensive backstory for each character — might surprise them.
“It’s certainly happened where we’ve made stuff up that inadvertently contradicts something else that comes up later without our even realizing it,” he jokes. “There’s a lot of thinking on your feet. Sometimes it’s not perfect, but I think that’s also the beauty of these murder mysteries. The plots are intended to be delightfully convoluted, so you can always justify the weirdness that comes up because everybody’s intermixed with relationships and motives.”
Griffin points out the audience itself is “a very unknown and surprising cast member” that creates “a whole different challenge” for the actors. But, after a dozen years of murder mysteries, he has found a solution for staying in character while answering unexpected questions.
“You look for what your character’s angle is in terms of how they’re dealing with people so that, when you go and talk to a table, you can have something that the character wants to talk about or wants to approach,” he says. “You’re looking for something to focus on when you interact so, once you find that, it becomes easier and you can have fun with it.”
Griffin adds that he often focuses on the audience members’ costumes, either commenting when they are impressive or teasing them when they are not. He also tries to connect with the audience by incorporating references to locals and current events, especially those happening in Bobcaygeon.
“We’ll certainly make reference to local businesses and, especially if the sponsors are there, we’ll poke fun at them,” he says, adding that it’s all in good fun. “It adds a whole other element to the experience because we’re not just improvising with the rest of the cast — we’re improvising with all the people there.”
Sometimes audience members will really surprise the actors and actually change the storyline. In one previous show, an audience member stood up and accused Griffin’s womanizing character of getting her pregnant, giving him an alibi for the murder. Griffin adds that, given the immersive nature of the experience, it’s not unusual for people to want to “insert themselves” into the show.
“You want that unexpected stuff to happen because it makes it more fun and makes every show unique,” Griffin says. “Literally, every moment is different every night.”
Though audience participation makes the show more fun, Griffin notes that some audience members may prefer to watch the shenanigans rather than participate, and the actors will respect those who do not wish to be involved.
Speaking of the actors, the other five suspects entering the Blue Moon Saloon along with Griffin will be played by Globus Theatre favourites Jennine Profeta, Kevin Sepaul, and Jack Copland, along with Carly Poole (a professional singer who has performed at Globus before, most recently at the season-opening Desperate to be Doris) and Globus newcomer Calvin Rea, a Toronto-based actor who will also be performing in The Comeback at Globus later this summer
In company with the show, Globus Theatre will be once again hosting the fifth annual Downtown Detective Trail along Bolton Street in Bobcaygeon. Participants can pick up a booklet and follow a live scavenger hunt that’s in keeping with the play. With a script written by Quick and comedian and actor Chris Gibbs, clues will be performed by the Detective Trail Players — students participating in Globus Theatre’s School of Dramatic Arts (SODA).
The family-friendly event will run at 2 p.m. during Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday show dates. Tickets are free with the purchase of Murder at the Blue Moon Saloon tickets, or $10 for adults and $5 for children.
“You can do one without the other, but it’s fun to do both because the Downtown Detective Trail is almost like a behind-the-scenes look where you get another aspect of the main story,” Quick says.
The community nature of Globus Theatre’s murder mysteries is one of the reasons Quick believes they are such a success and why she loves bringing them to audiences twice a year.
“People meet other people at their table and they become friends as well, banding together to try and solve the murder,” she says. “It’s very good-natured. I love that this is not only a tradition of people getting together and coming to these murder mysteries, but it’s suitable for everyone.”
Dinner and the show begins at 6:30 p.m. from Wednesday, July 16 to Saturday, July 19 (which features an additional matinee lunch and show at 12:30 p.m.) and again from Wednesday, July 23 to Saturday, July 26. Doors open at 6 p.m. for evening performances and at noon for the July 19th matinee performance.
Tickets are $100 plus tax and fees and be ordered online at www.globustheatre.com/shows-all/murder-at-the-blue-moon-saloon or by calling the box office at 705-738-2037 (toll free at 1-800-304-7897).
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