How to Solve a Murder

For our 35th Master Mystery Production, HOW TO SOLVE A MURDER (November 2023), inspired by P. G. Wodehouse’s classic “Jeeves and Wooster” tales, whisks us onboard a train to meet enthusiastic (and ill-informed) armchair amateur sleuth Archibald Reeves and his beleaguered valet, Brewster, who seek to solve a murder…and get caught in various hysterical scrapes from hiding a missing body to eavesdropping with stethoscopes to getting caught snooping by exasperated conductors. Will they be successful in solving the crime even if they have no idea what they’re doing?

All aboard! During the Roaring Twenties, a train speeding across the English landscape was the preferred way to travel for the rich, famous…and infamous. Hampton-upon-Blythe is just like any other sleepy little English town. With perhaps one exception…In the past few months, it has had two murders! Add to that the grisly murder of Dr. Rutherford in the nearby town of Beddington, and Archibald Reeves’ armchair sleuthing senses are certainly piqued! Reeves fervently believes that these sorts of crimes can be solved quite easily if you just use your mind. As he often proclaims, the mind is a wonderful tool, and deduction itself is more powerful than a steam locomotive. Of course, a few uncovered clues and stashed dead bodies aren’t too bad on the investigation either.

So how does the self-proclaimed mental mastermind try to solve a murder?

Station 1: Book two tickets aboard the 2:30 to Beddington, the scene of the crime;

Station 2: Take your gentleman’s gentleman with you because he’s swell at getting you out of binds;

Station 3: Question everyone who may have seen or heard anything about the recently expired doctor;

Station 4: Be completely oblivious to all the dark secrets, hidden character traits, white collar crimes, and outright lies that are all around you…

Join Reeves and Brewster and a whole train full of suspects as they try to follow the tracks that lead to a murderer without getting into a bit of a bother themselves. There’ll be mistaken identities, eavesdropping, shocking twists, and animated antics that will keep you guessing (and laughing) throughout the whole journey. Right ho! All aboard! Let’s solve a murder or two! And try not to trip over any bodies that might be in our path…

Status: AVAILABLE

Body Count: 2

Mechanics: Showstopper production with a period set, large cast, detailed props, dummy bodies, and many shifts in location. Works better as a partnership show. Will require author contract and negotiations with author on pay.