One of the ways in which our local Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company (CUTC) raises funds is by performing murder mystery dinners. We are hired by a variety of community groups and businesses to provide lethal dinner entertainment.
They may choose from a list of about thirty different plots, most of which involve seven characters, including one "murderer," one soon-to-be "corpse" and an "investigator." These plots are not complete scripts; all of the dialogue is improvised on the spot and we are often thrown by unanticipated questions from the audience.
Early
in the evening, we circulate among the guests and introduce ourselves in
character, then spend the next couple of hours dropping clues, getting into
arguments, etc. Late in the evening, one of us "dies," and either
winds up under a convenient tablecloth--or better yet, dragged out of the room.
The investigator takes over at that point, gathers any dropped clues and invites the audience to suggest suspects. The suspects are lined up and the guests may ask them any question. At this point in the game, only the murderer may lie; the other characters must tell the truth. (Some folks think that they can win through the use of logic games such as "Are you currently lying?" but it doesn't work that way. The murderer doesn't have to lie...)
After the questioning concludes, the guests "vote" for whom they believe committed the crime. The investigator then exonerates the suspects one by one, explaining why they couldn't have been responsible. That leaves only the murderer, who usually makes an angry confession.
It's very formulaic, but a lot of fun, especially when the audience is there to play. Even better, the variety of plots, the ever-changing audiences and settings, and the large pool of actors ensure that no two dinners are ever the same.
I've written several plots, including: