This summer, break out your best floor-length dresses, waistcoats, and top hots because you are cordially invited to Birchwood Estate where a three-course dinner — and a whole lot of scandal, suspicion, and deadly secrets — await.
Hystory Entertainment, a new Minden-based dinner theatre company, is taking you to 1890s Ontario for its debut immersive Victorian murder mystery dinner on Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11. Sponsored by Bonnie View Inn in the Haliburton Highlands, “Murder at Birchwood Estate” is being held at the Coboconk Community Centre with doors opening at 6 p.m.
Though founder Jacquie Barker only officially launched Hystory Entertainment this year, the idea had been “percolating” in her mind for many years since retiring from a 32-year career in healthcare.
“My husband and I go to Victorian bed and breakfasts every year in Ontario and we love it,” Barker says. “I’m always so excited afterwards and I say I want (to run) a bed and breakfast, or I want to do something Victorian, and it haunts me for a few months. But it was never clear in my head what exactly (to do).”
When she had the idea to deliver a Victorian-themed murder mystery event, she says “all the pieces fit” and she knew Hystory Entertainment was what she was meant to do. She has training from The Second City Toronto, experience in event planning and, of course, an “obsession” with Victorian fashion, architecture, and history.
“Murder at Birchwood Estate” is set in 1890 at a fictional lakeside manor in Kawartha Lakes owned by Mr. Alistair Whitcombe, a wealthy railway baron and politician. What begins as a formal dinner with invited members of his social circle takes a dramatic turn when a crime is committed.
Though Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901, Barker wanted to set the scene at the end of the Victorian era to make the costumes more accessible for guests who want to dress up to take part.
“At the beginning (of the Victorian era), there were those long wide gowns with the large crinoline (a structured undergarment made with hoops) but by the end there was a slimmer fitting with the bustle at the back,” she explains.
“I thought that might make it easier for people to dress up, because I’m trying to tell people to go to the thrift store and get a prom dress. I wanted to make it super easy for people to dress up without feeling they have to buy this super-wide gown.”
Barker says guests don’t need a full Victorian costume to participate. For the ladies, any floor-length dress in any style will do, with accessories such as a lace shawl, evening gloves, a brooch or pearl necklace, a perch hat or fascinator, and heeled ankle boots. Gentlemen can wear a dark suit or frock coat or waistcoat, with a pocket watch, a cravat, or a top hat to finish off the look. Alternatively, modern formal attire is also welcome.
Prior to the event, each guest of “Murder at Birchwood Estate” will be given a character identity outlining their personal connection to the Whitcombes, as well a secret only they know and a rumour to circulate about another guest.
With three settings throughout the evening, there will be ample opportunities for guests to interact wnile and enjoy their three-course Victorian meal catered by Alison Bowens. During the circle of suspicion, Detective Thomas Avery of the Kawartha Lakes Constabulary will take over and guests can make their accusations.
Throughout the event there will be tables with props and clues guests can examine, as well as broadsheets sharing true local history during the Victorian era.
“That’s what I love about Downton Abbey and Murdoch Mysteries — that there’s actual history,” Barker says. “I love that everything is very period current and appropriate and so, as you watch the series, you’re learning,” adding that she also wants guests “to be able to learn about the history of that period.”
As guests are putting the clues together and solving the mystery, they will also have opportunities to bid on items that have been donated by small businesses in Lindsay, Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, Coboconk, Haliburton, Minden, and beyond. Items up for bid include a zero-gravity lawn chair, air fryer, bottles of wine, gift cards, and more.
“I’ve talked to a lot of businesses door-to-door, and I’m really impressed with how generous people are,” says Barker.
Looking to the future, Barker hopes Hystory Entertainment will host dinner and theatre events every two to three months, and she already has several ideas in mind, including mysteries with Halloween, masquerade, and Edwardian themes.
She also hopes to connect with bed and breakfasts and other venues interested in hosting dinner theatre on their properties.
For now, however, Barker is focused on making the debut production a success and as fun — and historically accurate — as possible.
“I want people to feel they’ve escaped to a different era and forget about all their troubles,” Barker says. “I hope guests learn things, have fun, and make connections with other people.”
Tickets to “Murder at Birchwood Estate” are priced at $85 plus fees, but Friday night is already sold out. To purchase tickets for Saturday night, visit eventbrite.ca/e/1987887940342.
To learn more, follow Hystory Entertainment on Facebook and Instagram.
