Escape to a Murder Mystery in the Theme of Your Choice
Clown Cartel Murder Mysteries has a theme perfect for every group and special occasion. We invite you to explore our general themes by selecting from the list below. If you have questions, be sure to check out our FAQ or simply give us a call.
A Fistful of Murders
Alberta, 1912
Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains lies the sleepy little town of Bandits’ Gulch. For the first time in history, there’s going to be an election for the position of Sheriff. Be sure to come out and cast your ballot to ensure the good guy wins.
Theme: Western
Setting: Saloon
Venue Requirements:
- Changing room for 8 actors
- Area for speeches, voting booth, and shooting contest
- 2 small tables in the reception area with enough space for guests to gather around to read and examine clues
Note: Gunfire during production
A Game of Murder
The old manor house is sold, the contents to be sold at auction. Rummaging through one of the many boxes of memorabilia, you discover some unusual items – a dented candlestick, some rope, a discarded piece of pipe and an invitation…You’ve heard the stories – a night of frivolity marred by murder. The imagination soars. What would it have been like to be there – to be a part of that notorious soiree? They say it was never solved. But maybe if you were there, you could be the one to unravel this crime and deduce who-dun-it?
Theme: The game of Clue
Setting: 1946 – old manor house
Venue Requirements:
- Changing room for 8 actors
- Multiple rooms on main floor
- Staircase to upper floor
- Bedroom on upper floor to be dressed as Dahlia Cardinal’s room
- 2nd staircase or elevator to provide “killer” with alternate ways to main room
- 2 small tables in the reception area with enough space for guests to gather around to read and examine clues
Attack of the Killer Tabloid Nominees – Live in 3-D
Publishers for the Edification of Entertainment Periodicals proudly present the 23rd annual PEEPer Awards recognizing outstanding achievement in the tabloid industry. Whether you’re a presenter, a nominee or an honoured guest, this awards ceremony is bound to have some surprises. We can’t tell you who will win in their categories, but we’re sure that someone is going to make “a killing.”
Theme: Awards show parody
Setting: Generic hotel ballroom or community hall
Venue Requirements:
- Changing room for the actors
- Staging area 20 feet wide by 8 feet deep
- Area also for PowerPoint projector (we have our own projector and screen)
- 2 small tables in the reception area with enough space for guests to gather around to read and examine clues
Fade to Black
Move over Murdoch and Mentalist. Stand aside CSI, Criminal Minds and Castle. The latest TV crime drama to hit the networks is “Supporting Evidence”, set in the 1960s. Tonight the crew comes to the Hotel Selkirk to film a crucial restaurant scene for the much-anticipated season finale. Be inspired by “Mad Men” or Jackie Kennedy as you dress for 60s success and you could be an extra on-set. But be careful. It could be lights out for a member of the production as a killer makes the final cut.
Theme: Current-day production of a 60s crime TV show
Setting: Restaurant
Venue Requirements:
- Changing room for 8 actors
- Area for make-up / props table and a table for 2 set for dinner scene
- Also, an area in another part of the room to post clues for the guests to examine
GhostBlusters – “Who Ya Gonna Kill?
Written by Laura Nichol
Some people say that the place is haunted. Some say that the only spirits are the ones sold at the bar. After years of speculation, the Edmonton Society for the Paranormal (ESP), the Western Organization of Other-worldly Operations (WOoOO), and even the famous “Ghosthunters” have joined forces to conduct an official investigation. Will someone go to murderous lengths to ensure the room is officially certified as haunted?
Theme: Parody of paranormal investigation shows
Setting: Modern-day building which has a (fictional) history of paranormal activity
Venue Requirements:
- Change room for 9 actors
- Area at the front of the room for announcements and focused scenes
- Table with 2 chairs in front area for comedy fortune-teller readings
- Area in another part of the room to post clues for the guests to examine
Murder, Methinks
Hear ye, Hear ye! His most Royal Majesty, King Theodoric of Cammelonia, announces a magnificent banquet to celebrate a new alliance with the northern Kingdom of Barbaria. But zounds and forsooth! Sorcery, swordplay and subterfuge culminate in Murder, Methinks!
Theme: Medieval
Setting: Main hall of the King’s castle
Venue Requirements:
- Change room to accommodate 8 actors in large medieval costumes
- Throne area for king to make announcements
- 2 tables in the reception area with enough space for the guests to gather to read and examine clues
- Space for swordfight in front of throne
Shaken, Not Stirred
It is a time of environmental upheaval. Global warming has become a threat to mankind’s existence. Researchers in our very own city are on the brink of a discovery that could save the planet. Dr. Paul Ymer and his associates are developing a device which could save the Earth, but the Secret League for Universal Domination of Government Entities (SLUDGE) has caught wind of Dr. Ymer’s work. They want the device for their own purposes – global domination. Dr. Ymer has encoded his plans and is trying to get them to MI-5 before Sludge intercepts. MI-5 has sent their most famous agent to ensure that the plans do not get into enemy hands.
Theme: James Bond parody
Setting: Event venue hosting an international science conference
Venue Requirements:
- Change room for 8 actors
- Front area - space required for PowerPoint video clips (we have all necessary equipment)
- Elsewhere in the room, 2 tables required for scientific demonstrations, and to post clues for guests to examine
(The Case of) The Perfect Crime
Someone has brought together the most famous detectives of the 1940s in one location, taunting them to solve the “perfect” crime. It’s the one time that even our detectives are under suspicion. Join forces with your favourites to unravel the clues, but be careful. Someone here tonight is a murderer!
Theme: Parodies of classic 1940s detectives
Setting: 1946 - a hotel, community hall or restaurant
Venue Requirements:
- A change room for the cast of 8 actors
- Space at the front of the room for announcements and focused scenes
- 2 small tables in the reception area with enough space for guests to gather around to read and examine clues
The Night Chicago Died
Chicago, October 24, 1931
Al Capone is on trial for tax-evasion. But what if Capone beats the rap? Step into a world of relentless lawmen, greedy rivals and illegal liquor.
Theme: Chicago gangsters, prohibition
Setting: A (fictional) speakeasy belonging to Al Capone
Venue Requirements:
- Changing room for 8 actors
- Staging area for MC and singer
- Area in another part of the room to post clues for the guests to examine
Note: There are three gunshots fired (in rapid succession) during this mystery
’Twas a Dark and Stormy Night
1882 – Somewhere in Eastern Europe
The bridge is washed out and the road is impassable. You and your fellow travellers are forced to take refuge at the creepy old castle on the hill. But why is the Baron so wary of one of the other guests – the famous monster hunter, Dr. Von Helstrom? And what about the rumours of an escaped inmate from the Marchare Asylum?
Theme: Victorian Gothic novels
Setting: Main hall of an Eastern European castle
Venue Requirements:
- Change room for 8 actors in bulky Victorian attire
- Area at the front of the room for the Baron’s throne and for announcements during the evening
- Area in another part of the room to post clues for the guests to examine
- Multiple rooms representing different parts of the Transylvanian castle. Ideally there should be an upstairs corridor with a bedroom where significant clues are found, an additional corridor and a back stairwell where the corpse is discovered
