Johannesburg - At Bulwer’s medieval-themed Mountain Park hotel, murder is all part of a game. Murder mystery dinners are becoming hot favourites as diners - or suspects with scripts, from which they ad lib as the party hots up - gather information to help them reach the objective of the evening: to work out “whodunnit?”
The dinners are the brain-child of Midlands journalist Trish Beaver, who has custom-written Murder at Mountain Park for the newly revamped, historic hotel, which has a third floor that was built by Italian prisoners of war after local workmen refused, believing it was cursed.
One of its owners did, indeed, die, after which the building was deserted and rumours became rife that it was haunted. Then there was also talk of a secret passage that collapsed, trapdoors and hidden underground rooms.
This heritage and the hotel’s dark-wooded, dim-lit interior have made it Beaver’s perfect playground to hide both clues and red herrings for the “suspects” in her murder mystery game to gather information to help them reach the objective of the evening - to work out “whodunnit?”
However, much of the destination is in the journey.
At the beginning of the game, after picking name tags out of an envelope to find out which bizarre character they will be for the evening, “suspects” head for a dressing room, decked out with costumes and accessories. They range from Springbok fan tops to artificial boobs, wigs to African fabric shirts.
Beaver’s scripts include themes that involve aliens in the Midlands who have been spotted on an isolated farm... and cross-dressing private school headmasters in the Midlands who are very strict. Her Durban theme - Death by Bunnychow - offers guests a chance to mingle with pseudo-celebs at the opening of a Bollywood-style restaurant.
They are all set in South Africa and completely over-the-top. She said: “Many of my characters are inspired by people I met when I was a journalist.
“I love to make people laugh and I find that people enjoy the chance to become an alter-ego and everyone likes to play the part of a stereotype.”
The dinners have been done for birthday celebrations, anniversary parties and team building.
* Beaver’s next Mountain Park Murder dinner will be on March 28. The hotel offers a special weekend package for murder mystery guests. Book through the hotel at 039 832 0026 or to book a private murder mystery party visit www.whodunnitSA.co.za
Daily News