A whodunnit in Versova

The setting: a deserted public library in Atlanta, USA. The period: The 1960s. The plot: Fifteen individuals who discover a dead body within minutes of their arrival. One of them is the murderer, and the rest need to figure out who it is. Soon.

If you have grown up on a steady diet of detective novels, you have perhaps solved as many whodunnits as your favourite author. A murder mystery party by Tall Tales Storytelling, this Saturday, will let you take your investigative skills beyond the pages of a book to a real-life setting, starting with an apt venue — the library of a restaurant in Versova.

Archana Ramanathan, an Agatha Christie fan who has conceptualised the event, tells us what led to it. “I am a corporate consultant and trainer. Last year, when I decided to do something on my own, my husband pointed me to an article that had appeared in the mid-day. It was about a Beatmap house party, where you open up your home to like-minded people for an evening of storytelling. I thought, why not share my love for detective novels through a party on these lines?” she shares.

Archana Ramanathan

The plot for the upcoming party, Body in the Library, has been written by Ramanathan. “It borrows its title from the Agatha Christie book, but the plot is different. Of course, all Christie stories end with a twist, and that won’t change,” she says. Taking us through the rules of the game, she tells us that while the murderer will persuade the other 14 participants to focus their investigative energies on someone else, they have to try see through the tale the culprit will spin to zero in on them. Clues will be strewn about in the library, starting from the body to the books. “I weave in time periods and other countries in my plots so people can get creative with their accents and costumes if they like. There is also a Best in Character prize and if the murderer is able to deceive other players, he/she gets a prize, too,” she explains.

“Once the participants are fixed, I send notes to each of them, detailing their character,” Ramanathan says, adding that the idea is to weave in diversity in the plot. “In the first edition, we had a gay pastor and strong women characters. The whole point is to spread acceptability [of this diversity].”

ON August 3, 6 pm
AT Leaping Windows, Corner View, Versova, Andheri West.
LOG ON TO shorturl.at/eSTW3
Cost Rs 1,800 (includes refreshments; limited seats)

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