Bored of lockdown? Looking for a different way to spend the evening? Join us to solve this murder mystery and help to raise funds to help asylum seekers and refugees in the Stoke-on-Trent area. The event is led by professional actors so you don't have to play a part but you can join in the fun of questioning suspects and solving the murder.

We encourage you to make a donation of at least £10.00 per person to take part. This will cover the costs of the evening and the surplus will be donated to sanctusstmarks.org, a CIC based in Stoke-on-Trent, which raises funds to help refugees and asylum seekers in the area.

The occasion is the reading of the will of the late Lord Crump, who suffered from acute angina and died in his sleep some weeks ago. The coroner ruled that his death was natural causes, but gossips downstairs are suggesting that he had company on that fateful night and it was not his wife. He leaves a collection of motor cars and a substantial amount of art to his beneficiaries.

Leading the mourners is his wife, Lady Margaret. She was Lord Crump's second wife after his first wife, a well know film star, was killed in a riding accident.

Also present are the Late Lord Crump's son Roland, a gambler with delusions of adequacy, and his younger brother Oswald, an industrialist with a big ego. He's self-made and worships his creator.

The reading of the will is suddenly disrupted by the arrival of a detective. Annie Messages, a legal secretary with Lord Crump's Solicitors Canwee, Billem & Howe, has been found dead at the company offices. Foul play is suspected!

As would be expected, the reading of the will is thrown into disarray. Guests will be called upon to help the police in finding the identity of the murderer.

The evening will start at 7pm when you will receive clues to the identity of the murderer and the link to join the Zoom event. From 7.45pm you can join the Zoom call and check that everything is working ok or pour yourself a 1920s cocktail. The call will be led by DI Catchem and he will introduce you to some suspect that you can question using the information gained from the clues.

• The Zoom call will be hosted by professional actors from Organise Events.
• Guests will not be required to act a part or role but there are opportunities to question suspects and wearing 1920s costume is encouraged (but not essential).
• You can also choose a character name for yourself (the sillier the better) and upload a 1920s Zoom background - or theme your own background at home.
• Making period drinks and snacks and listening to music from the ‘20s as you read the clues prior to the Zoom call can also add to your evening of murder and mayhem in the comfort of your own home.
• The call will last an hour and at the end you will be invited to share who you think is the murderer.

WHAT YOU NEED:

A laptop or PC with a camera and microphone will give you the best experience, it will allow you to see all the information that’s supplied about the case, through the chat boxes on Zoom, comfortably. But if you’d like to use your phone or tablet, you can do that as well. Just make sure it’s propped up in a well lit place so the actors can see you and you can see them and you don’t have to hold the device constantly. For the best experience, make sure your volume is turned up and you’re close enough to your device so that your microphone can pick you up. To avoid unpleasant feedback noise it is best to share a screen with others in your household rather than using separate screens. Or at least use different rooms.

WHAT TO DO:

An hour before the start time of the event you will be supplied with a Zoom link via email, that you can click on from whatever device you want to use, and it should automatically take you to the meeting room. It will also ask for a password before you are allowed to join, this will also be sent out in the link email. The email will also contain clues for you to consider in advance of the call. You don’t need to have the Zoom software loaded on to your device - the link will take you to the meeting room. Zoom is quite easy to use and if you haven’t used it before you can join the meeting room early to get familiar with it before the game starts.

And that’s it! You will have some time before getting started to finalise any connection or background things you may want to indulge in (or grab yourself a drink). Your detective for the evening will lead you through the rest of the event so all you need to do is put your heads together and figure it out.

We encourage you to make a donation of at least £10.00 per person to take part. This will cover the costs of the evening and the surplus will be donated to sanctusstmarks.org, a CIC based in Stoke-on-Trent, which raises funds to help refugees and asylum seekers in the area.