About CHris SHelstone
Chris Shelstone
Chris Shelstone has been writing Murder Mystery Scripts for his local Drama Group since 2007. Chris started buying Murder Mystery Titles with outlines of arguments and motives but realised his group really needed specific content to work with. Chris started to create the dialogue and inject his own humour into the scripts and soon realised he could do everything from scratch.
All of Chris Shelstone's plays follow a similar format - acting out a scene of events in front of an audience placed in cabaret style seating with tables so people can sit together in groups. Minimal set is required.
There is a murder (or sometimes 2) and during the intermission a hotpot supper goes down a treat. During the second half of the play a further period of accusations and arguments ensue, which is then brought to a conclusion with a detective arriving and asking the audience to help them out. The audience are invited to call the murder suspects to their table to ask any questions.
The murder suspects are then taken away to a side room while the audience complete a solution sheet and submitted for inspection to determine the winner(s) and maybe a booby prize for the most outlandish accusation. The suspects present themselves in front of the audience and the murderer is revealed with the reasons why the deadly deed was done.
We find that an injection of comedy in the script and performance greatly enhances the enjoyment of the murder mystery evening and although our drama group perform other plays, variety shows and pantomimes, we find our murder mysteries are the most popular in terms of audience attendance and demand for more.
This proven successful format is great for amateur dramatic groups performing at a village hall, church hall organisations, social clubs, that can be used as a fund raising event as well as a local theatre setting.
Chris Shelstone
Graduate of The School of Comedy
All of Chris Shelstone's plays follow a similar format - acting out a scene of events in front of an audience placed in cabaret style seating with tables so people can sit together in groups. Minimal set is required.
There is a murder (or sometimes 2) and during the intermission a hotpot supper goes down a treat. During the second half of the play a further period of accusations and arguments ensue, which is then brought to a conclusion with a detective arriving and asking the audience to help them out. The audience are invited to call the murder suspects to their table to ask any questions.
The murder suspects are then taken away to a side room while the audience complete a solution sheet and submitted for inspection to determine the winner(s) and maybe a booby prize for the most outlandish accusation. The suspects present themselves in front of the audience and the murderer is revealed with the reasons why the deadly deed was done.
We find that an injection of comedy in the script and performance greatly enhances the enjoyment of the murder mystery evening and although our drama group perform other plays, variety shows and pantomimes, we find our murder mysteries are the most popular in terms of audience attendance and demand for more.
This proven successful format is great for amateur dramatic groups performing at a village hall, church hall organisations, social clubs, that can be used as a fund raising event as well as a local theatre setting.
Chris Shelstone
Graduate of The School of Comedy
