Murder will soon be served on the carte du jour at the Steveston Seafood House.
It seems that a wealthy, washed up Hollywood star will suddenly find out that her young lover/agent has been murdered.
Oh my a bloody knife, fingerprints, anonymous notes who could possibly want the affable young man killed?
Could it be Buck the Beggar, who is desperate for food and has resorted to begging on the street? Or what about the sultry young starlet Serina?
Thats for the dinner detectives to find out on Sunday, April 29 during the Grim Reaper murder mystery dinner/show, dubbed Something Smells Fishy in Steveston.
Its a thriller based on the ancient art of participatory theatre, said Trevor Jenkins, an actor as well as the scriptwriter, director and owner of Grim Reaper Mysteries, which has produced 134 shows with 164 performances since 1989.
The storyline runs much in the same vein as the queen of murder mystery herself did Agatha Christie.
I enjoy this form of Vaudevillian acting, said Jenkins.
After a year hiatus in Steveston, Jenkins is back with his brand of comedic whodonit.
The drawing room-style drama unfolds over three hours, and during each course, the audience will be dished out clues and asked to play detective.
Jenkins will begin the soiree with a prologue, then the games begin, he quipped.
The actors will converse with guests and diners are encouraged to ask them any questions in hope of uncovering the puzzling murder.
The three actors are professionally trained and every 15 minutes or so they will get up and go through their scripted routine, Jenkins explained.
Sara Key, a 25-year-old actress, is also a professional singer and shell sing at various times throughout the night. Twenty-two-year-old actress Dana May will transform herself into an elderly lady.
Both of these young women are gifted actors as is Zen Hunter, who plays Buck, he said. Once the actors are finished, their characters will start to unravel the murder.
I love to tease the audience with clues. The evening has everything, great food, music, comedy and a mystery to solve.
While guests enjoy their dinner, they will be privy to four- to five-minute vignettes, providing a glimpse into the killers identity.
We will also be constantly playing games, showing photos and secret letters and going on a scavenger hunt looking for clues, Jenkins added.
Those who are the sharpest sleuths will go home with prizes.
Shane Degan, owner of Steveston Seafood House, said the murder mystery play went off so well in 2010, he decided to bring it back.
Its entertaining and Trevor brings really good actors and they are quite funny, said Degan. When people come into the restaurant, they will notice the chalk outline of the body.
Jenkins believes he was meant to do this. Born in Wales, his family immigrated to Canada in 1957. Growing up an only child, Jenkins loved to entertain.
I was always boisterous and noisy and loved to create party themes, he said.
His flair for writing is in the genes.
Dad had a talent for writing, he wrote radio plays for CBC Radio, he said.
He earned a bachelor of arts and was soon producing and putting on game shows as team building exercises for large corporations. Over the ensuing years, he fell in love with the interactive theatre genre.
I love that I am able to take adults and turn them into kids for three hours, he said. They abandoned themselves to the mystery and its interesting to see how grown adults react.
The restaurant is the stage, and the actors move all around the tables so the guests can see and hear from all seats. Four professional actors, including Jenkins, carry the show and the rest is up to the audience.
Participation is encouraged, but not required, added Jenkins.
This type of interactive theatre, if done properly, said Jenkins, motivates our common curiosity and intrigue surrounding murder. Ive noticed during the shows, its the seniors who really let loose and get into it.
He went on to say that everyone will have fun trying to untangle twisted plots of intrigue. Its comedy and suspense for all.
His Grim Reaper dinner/show runs across the Lower Mainland.
The Grim Reaper Mysteries and Inter-Active Game Shows come for two dinner shows at the Steveston Seafood House on Sunday, April 29 and Sunday, May 6. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $55 a person for a four-course dinner and show. To reserve your spot, call 604-271-5252 or visit www.stevestonseafoodhouse.com.
