On Friday, the day that The Great Gatsby opened in North American movie theatres, a decade-appropriate themed party was held at Toronto’s Spoke Club. Entitled a Flapper Murder Mystery and hosted by Shot in the Dark Mysteries and Because You Said So…Promotions and Events, the interactive event circled around the murder of Fanny Birchwood outside a Speakeasy in 1925. The usual 1920s characters were present, played by party attendees, ranged from socialite/party girl to silent movie star to gangster and, of course, bar owner. Suspects and non-suspects mingled (many wearing period costume or modified period outfits) with each other, asking questions, trying to solve Fanny’s murder.
Party attendees questioning the “suspects” about the “murder”
This was my first time attending an interactive murder mystery. I have been to others, but they were performed by actors on stage with the audience participating very minimally. It is more fun when everyone gets to interact with each other, but only if it is well-run. While I can’t say that the specific event was poorly organized, it could have been a little bit better. There was music playing in the background as we were questioning the suspects, making it a little hard to hear (not to mention that at least a good number of guests playing suspects did so at last minute, so they were not familiar with their characters at all. I have to admit that most did a wonderful job!). The event’s timing was a little odd as well. With a start time of 6 PM and end at around 9, dinner was a bit of an issue for those of us who typically eat at 7-ish. But regardless, the event was still a great deal of fun and I look forward to similar parties in the future.
