PLAY REVIEW: Murder At Dinner - a deadly show

To all those who have read a book by Agatha Christie or are familiar with detective films the likes of Poirot , Sherlock Holmes, or even Midsummer Murders, the plot behind Murder At Dinner will not seem foreign.

The novelty is that the concept, inspired from Dinner & Crime played successfully in Austria for years, has not been implemented in Romania- until now.

You go to a fancy dinner where you will see a play unfold in which actors are not perched on a stage but say their lines in the middle of the audience, involving everyone in what turns out to be a crime story. Treating the audience as guests at the reception and as the jury that sits in judgment of a crime, the actors encourage everyone to become immersed into the story, and express an opinion on who they think is the killer.

The story: Back in the days when Bucharest used to be called Little Paris, songstress Chantal Vernescu, a darling of the high society, throws a birthday party that includes employees, close friends and…not-so-well-wishers. In spite of having their differences, everyone at Chantal’s party seems to be having a good time. But appearances can be deceiving: not everyone is in a party mood. There is somebody at the reception who came with ill intentions, who wants not just wine to be spilled, but blood…Alas! Someone dies before the end and the question that now needs to be answered is: who is the culprit?

More than just a play in a restaurant (the renovated and picturesque Hanul lui Manuc), Murder At Dinner is an entertainment show with songs, dance and a special atmosphere that will put a smile on people’s face.

Each of the actors will get their five minutes of fame which they will use to charm the audience and draw them on their side. Not only that, but each actor stands for a certain typology: you have the spoiled star, the black widow, the disgruntled employees and even the more recent model of the modern society, the laughter-jerker gay friend (who probably is an equivalent of the court buffoon from plays dating from the Middle Ages).

One look at the actors’ profile reveals they all have various interests and a very eclectic career path, blending all their different training and temperaments into a very harmonious team. “We are at each other’s throat on a weekly basis, but we’re a family nonetheless,” they say.

People who attend Murder At Dinner pay RON 230 and sign up for a three course diner at Hanul Lui Manuc, having the opportunity to choose between three menus- regular, vegetarian or fish. Those who dress to look the part, like in the inter-bellum years, get a RON 20 discount.

Murder At Dinner premieres on October 27, at 19:30. The next two shows are scheduled on November 2 and November 11.
Otilia Haraga