Audiences at Greytown’s Studio 73 will be invited to turn ‘super sleuth’ by Greytown Little Theatre [GLT] when their cabaret-style murder mystery, Blue Murder at the Blue Parrot, hits the stage this month.
The scene of the crime is a seedy London nightclub – the eponymous Blue Parrot – in the Roaring Twenties and nightclub owner Harry Ferrari is trying to find a way to save his business from going under.
Is there more to Harry’s employees than meets the eye? Is Giuseppe Dolce intent on putting Harry out of business for good? And what brings bumbling police inspector Mayday to the club?
“The premise is [the cast will] act out a murder and the audience has to guess who did it, why they did it and how they did it,” director Julia Harris said.
The audience can expect to be quite involved.
“They’ll see the murder, they’ll be part of the nightclub and then the inspector will open the floor to their ideas and questions.”
The audience can even question suspects to deduce ‘whodunnit’.
Several cast members are students from Kuranui College and “they are having a ball, they are really enjoying it”, Harris said.
GLT provides scholarships to students for training opportunities and workshops and Blue Murder gives some of the young cast “a chance to give back to the theatre and give the theatre the opportunity to give the students a showcase”.
Harris is pleased with how the show is coming on in rehearsal.
“[The students] are juggling the end of school and school presentations and graduations and all of that, so we do not want to trespass on that for them. But meanwhile, they’re giving us 100 per cent as well. And a bit more,” she said.
Juanita McLellan, who plays Rose, a club singer whose glory days are behind her, described the show as “a really good time”.
“Imagine if the musical Chicago and Agatha Christie had a baby that didn’t take itself too seriously, that’s Blue Murder.”
Tickets are still available for the matinee on Sunday, November 19 at 5pm, Friday, November 24 at 8pm and Saturday, November 25 at 8pm.
Tickets cost $25 and $15 for students.
“It’s a BYO event and a light supper prepared by the GLT committee and volunteers is included in the ticket price,” the theatre’s president John Gilberthorpe said.
To book tickets text or call John Gilberthorpe on 0274 586 126 or email greytownlittle
[email protected]
