Review: Laugh and Let Die Murder Mysteries’ ‘Game of Groans’ Facebook Live Event

Laugh and Let Die Murder Mysteries streamed their ‘Game of Groans’ themed event via Facebook Live on Saturday, 18 April 2020.

The murder mystery event format usually involves a team of players assuming roles in a scripted drama, during which a murder takes place. With the help of a detective from the players, the audience piece together clues, have the opportunity to ask questions of the characters and try to figure out ‘whodunnit’, just for fun. Families, groups of friends, stag and hen parties might all incorporate a murder mystery into a celebration or party, and they’re even used as workplace team-building exercises.

In line with many events organisers during the Coronavirus outbreak of Spring 2020, Laugh and Let Die have had to find new ways of working, as their events are cancelled due to the restrictions. Rather than trying to sell the same product online, Laugh and Let Die have come up with an innovative way to introduce themselves to a new audience, whilst keeping their existing fans happy. Rather than profit from these uncertain times, they have also used this new format as a way to raise funds for the important charity Manchester Mind.

The ‘Game of Groans’ event was announced on the Laugh and Let Die Facebook page a couple of weeks before the live stream. During the week before the event, an online countdown ran and some very short videos were posted, introducing the audience to the key characters they would meet during the event, who were likely to become the ‘suspects’. A couple of hours before the virtual murder, a crib sheet about these characters was posted to the Facebook page. These preparations were thorough, suited the media being used perfectly and were really useful for a new audience member like me, who’s never been to a murder mystery event before. A friend of mine, who has been to several murder mysteries, also played along from home. She didn’t view the videos and documents beforehand, but was able to participate just as well.

‘Game of Groans’ was live-streamed from a cast member’s home. Of course, social isolation meant that the Laugh and Let Die cast could not assemble. One brave actor, Rob Ireland, took on all the roles, scripts and costumes by himself! Some of the funniest moments were when he went behind a screen to change and conversed in two different voices whilst wigs, hats and accessories flew around above him. The live stream meant that the audience could check in to the event on Facebook, give live reactions, ask questions and predict the murderer via the Comments bar. The audience entered into the spirit of the event through this, with the light-hearted jokes and questions helping to connect us all and filling the performance gaps caused by costume changes.

After the (spoiler alert!) untimely death of King Banoffre Pie II, Jack Frost called the other characters in the king’s court forward to present their version of events. Each tried to convince the audience of their story in different ways, and with a variety of interesting accents – even Rob joked about these at the end of the performance! Brilliantly, a range of evidence documents were also presented throughout the evening. As well as being shown to the camera, these were posted to the Laugh and Let Die Instagram and Twitter accounts. We had been told at the start of the performance that a second device might be handy to check these accounts, so we were able to look at the documents in detail. My friend thought this was a particular strength, saying “there’s a decent plot complexity, the back-up documents are great and I love the use of multiple platforms to add content”.

After about an hour and a half, the clues had been gathered, the evidence compiled and the audience was asked to vote on which of the suspects was the murderer – by hitting the ‘like’ button, using the clap emoji or similar when their name was called. The only change I would have made would be to allow a little more time between the calling of suspect’s names, so the reactions could register on screen – but overall this worked pretty well. In fact, the actor juggled performing in different costumes, posting evidence on multiple platforms and reading & reacting to our comments and questions mind-bogglingly well throughout the whole 90 minutes – multi-tasking at its finest!

After a confession, the killer (who I hadn’t identified correctly) was taken away in handcuffs and the performance drew to a close. Commendably, there was a heart-felt reminder about the importance of mental health charities – especially in times like these – and we were encouraged, rather than pressured, to donate to Manchester Mind if we had enjoyed the event.

The ‘Game of Groans’ was an entertaining way to spend an evening. It must have been tricky for Laugh and Let Die to organise, as their work thrives on audience interaction and the live experience. However, Rob performed and controlled the event very well, whilst still embracing some of the spontaneity which caused the most laughs. Having seen this live stream, I would definitely consider going to a Laugh and Let Die Murder Mystery with friends in the future, for a fun night out.

Cast

Director Quentin Crisp-packet; King Banoffree Pie II; Queen Jalfreesi; Curtsey Karacta; General Bron Flake, Lord Littlethumb and Jack Frost all played by Rob Ireland

How can I take part in a Laugh and Let Die murder mystery?

Look out for details of future Facebook Live events at the Laugh and Let Die Facebook page

or on Twitter and Instagram @laughletdie

Once isolation guidelines are relaxed, check out the company’s website to book an event for yourself and your friends.

In the meantime, you can also buy a Great Gatsby themed kit and run your own roaring Twenties murder mystery via social media. The kit contains all the documents you will need, clear instructions on how to run the event, can be viewed digitally or printed and can be purchased from the Laugh and Let Die Etsy store.

About Laugh and Let Die Murder Mysteries

‘Laugh and Let Die’ are a Manchester-based murder mysteries event company. They present murder mysteries to suit any occasion and also run their own shows. They have been encouraging audiences to solve crimes at events across the U.K. since 2012. Find out more at their website.

About Manchester Mind

Manchester Mind has been delivering mental health services in the city since 1989. In 2011, the charity affiliated to national Mind, and became one of the 137 Local Mind Associations across the country. Manchester Mind’s purpose is to support better mental health for everyone. They deliver a wide range of services to facilitate this, and last year over 6,500 people received support, information and/or training from Manchester Mind. A ‘Just Giving’ link to donate to the charity can be found at their Laugh and Let Die Facebook page.

Review by: Sharon Corbally

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* This was a free facebook live event. All opinions are our own.