For Sebastian's 11th birthday party, Tracey and I decided to organise a "Murder Mystery" party. This was rather more work than we had anticipated, but turned out to be a considerable success. So, I have included the plot and source materials used, so that you can re-use it for your own parties.
Normally, these "Murder Mystery" parties are for adults, and rely on the guests reacting spontaneously (and in character) as the events unfold. This party was for 10-to-12 year olds, so I thought it best to script the entire event. So, this party is suitable for children who are old enough to read aloud reasonably well, but young enough to enjoy a certain amount of shouting and running around.
I also took care to make the plot comprehensible (mostly!) to all, and to avoid certain adult themes which might confuse the kids (or upset their parents).
Since Sebastian's birthday, I have had several people contact me by email to express an interest in using this material for their own parties. See these citations here.
Invitations
The process starts with the party invitations. Each invitation has to be separately devised and printed, since it introduces the character that each child is supposed to adopt for the party. (This is one of the reasons why the event was so much work!)
The invitations need to be sent out in good time, to give both parents and children a chance to think about the character, as well as what clothes to wear. Some additional suggestions for parents and children to help can be found here - I included a copy of this in with each invitation.
It's quite important to know exactly who is, and who is not, able to attend the party, since I found it to be necessary to adjust the plot to accommodate missing guests.
Apparently, the invitations themselves caused quite a stir at school. Some of the kids started referring to each other by their party character names!
Running the Party
It is important to ensure that all of the guests have ariaved for the formal proceedings start. So, each guest is presented with a personalised instruction sheet on their arrival. This is designed to be folded into three (use stiff paper or thin card) and sealed with wax. Also, each guest was labelled with a sticker with the character's name.
While guests were arriving, we made sure that they all got a drink (another outing for the kids non-alcoholic cocktails!). Once everyone had arrived, then they were all shepherded into one room, and got to sit down (fairly) quietly. The kids were then instructed to open and read the instruction sheet.
The master of ceremonies was Freddie Farr, Barister-at-law - played by yours truly. I managed to borrow a (real!) lawyer's gown and wig for the event (from one of the kids' father). Freddie Farr introduces the event: the reading of the last will and testament for the late Baroness Arabella Rummum, recently passed away under mysterious circumstances.
Tracey played Pinky Beasts, a local music teacher and mother to Ian Beasts (the character played by Sebastian - it's an anagram!). The other important character was Detective Inspector Herring, a bumbling local policeman, played by Sebastian's Grandad. We had a number of other helpers, played by various adults pretending to be the late Baroness's servants: Lucy Lastic, Bertha Broadbotham and Meg Mystic. (We had fun with the names!)
Each guest was introduced. Freddie Farr called out each name in turn, and the child was encouraged to come forward and read out the character introduction from the instructions. As they came forward, I played a short music clip (not included here, for copyright reasons) picked to be appropriate for each character.
After all of the guests had introduced themselves, it was time to get something to eat and more to drink. While snacks and drinks were served (by the late Baroness's servants!), each guest had to track down three of the guests and ask them each a question (as indicated on the instruction sheet). The questions and answers are arranged to ensure that each kid is asked each question by at least three other children. This makes sure that at least some of the children have additional information (for later).
After tea, the guests re-assemble with Freddie Farr. Freddie works his way through the plot (see the spreadsheet), and the kids are encouraged to shout out with questions and answers as we reach each part marked "All" in the spreadsheet. (It got quite loud at times!) Each child has a line or two (on their individual instructions and in the master spreadsheet. The servants help the guests with the reading, if necessary - some guests were either shy, or struggled with some words.
Everntually, we reached the denouement: Pinky Beasts (Tracey) is revealed as the murderer, and is arrested by Inspector Herring (Grandad). Ian Beasts (Sebastian) is revealed as the long-lost son of the late Baroness, and therefore entitled to the inheritance. According to Freddie Farr (Trevor), there is enough in the inheritance for a gift (a going-away party bag) for all of the guests.
Source Materials
I have included all of the materials we used in PDF format. You could re-use and extend them for your own parties. Feel free to contact me by email.
The master spreadsheet with each of the roles and the plot can be found here. A sign for the lawyer (Freddie Farr) is here. The birth certificate is here. The instructions for grown-ups we included with the invitations is here.
Materials for each of the kids' (invitation and instructions) is included below.
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Rt. Hon. Alexander Snootipants Society photographer Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Arfur Dailly Dodgy dealer Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Mr. Basil Bossy Postmaster-General Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Bruce Danunder Australian Private Investigator Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
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Clarissa Bradshaw New York socialite Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Classy Galore International hairdresser and beautician Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Dollar Moss US Racing Driver Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Dr. Sue Diggett Famous Egyptologist Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
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Gabrielle Le Fee Famous Ballet Dancer Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
George Timepiece Eccentric Clock and Watchmaker Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Georgy Porgy Public School Headmaster Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Rt. Hon. Phoebe "Hammy" Hamilton Sporty Party-goer Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
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Ian Beasts Adventurer and explorer Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Miss Ivory Tinkle Famous concert pianist Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Jeff Setter Male model Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Jerry Moneybags Financial dealer and stockbroker Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
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Jules Bond International man of mystery Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
T.J. "Lucky" Spurs Gambler and card sharp Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Lucrecia Diva Glamorous catwalk model Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Lydia Lite Nightclub singer Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
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Madame Foo Foo French Fashion Designer Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Mata Hairie Retired Exotic Dancer Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Mulch the Gardener Old Gardener Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Professor J.J. "Nutty" McNut Eccentric Inventor Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
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Princess Stella of Moldovia Continential royal princess Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Samantha Snoop Newspaper reporter and investigator Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Trinny Haddock TV Chef and personality Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
Vincenzo Vincente Italian Playboy and yachtsman Party Invitation Guest Instructions |
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