This is a story of how a murder mystery dinner party came to the rescue of an investment firm. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many businesses to vacate their offices and send their employees home to work remotely. While it helped ‘flatten the curve’, it has also caused teams to feel disconnected socially. Festival of Dreams, a luxury events company, contacted us to create a custom-made Murder Mystery Guide Experience for one of their special clients.
With employees from all around the world working in different cities or from home – and a handful of brand new employees thrown into the mix – this murder mystery dinner party was just the thing for them to meet one another in the flesh and let their more creative sides come through.
Hosted at the exquisite Casa Labia in Muizenberg, Cape Town, this regal Italian mansion became the inspiration for the plot and characters. With so many gilded elements in the banqueting hall – the ceiling, the mirrors, the furniture and art frames to mention but a few – it was a setting just begging for a royal murder. It became fitting to create not one royal pair, but two sets of royals, to do this majestic venue justice.
The icing on the cake was the superb table decor, which beautifully supported the opulent theme and welcomed guests into a magical setting to get enveloped into their bespoke Murder Mystery Guide experience. From skinny candles to fresh fruit, vegetables and roses, tulips and in peachy tones, complemented by sparkling glassware and custom-made stationery, this was a dining room to behold.
With a venue fit for royalty paired with world-class decor and styling, and foodie-quality cuisine, there wasn’t much standing in the way of a magical and whimsical evening enjoyed together.
With 23 guests confirmed for the event, the biggest challenge was creating equally fun, and eccentric, characters for all of the guests. With not much to go on, it was a glorious surprise to discover that so many guests were perfectly suited to their fictitious counterparts!
A Murder Mystery to inspire…
It’s always exciting when guests are gung-ho and have put thought and effort into their costumes and characters. This group was in it to win it, with many of the guests creating homemade props to strengthen their character portrayals. Scroll through the slideshow below to find your favourite props!
Book your custom-made Murder Mystery Guide experience today and delight your guests.
All first-timers at a bespoke murder mystery event, the group gelled beautifully. As is frequently the case, there were too many hilarious moments and conversations to count. A highlight for any Murder Mystery Guide experience is voting for Best Male Character, Best Female Character and Best Dressed at the end of the evening, once the murderer has confessed. It is a wonderful way to acknowledge the star performers on the night and thank them for the entertainment they gave the group. Can you spot the winners?
Without a doubt, this group will never forget their experience. Hopefully this team building extravaganza did the job of knitting the newbies into the company far quicker, too. While murder mystery dinner parties can be excellent team building activities, they are a wonderful way to celebrate a birthday or to spend a special evening with family and friends. Your guests do not have to know one another in order to enjoy themselves – the experience itself can be a brilliant ice breaker.
Not quite ready for a custom murder mystery dinner party? Try one of our Print and Play games first. You will have the option to purchase a training session so you can learn how to host your own game without a professional facilitator.
Who would you want to experience a Murder Mystery Guide dinner with? Share this blog post with them as inspiration, then contact us for a tailor-made murder mystery dinner party experience.
Images by Christine LR Photography
