Death and Palaeontology

The Community Cafe at the Fossil Centre were having a murder mystery evening to raise funds for the centre and about 3 weeks ago I got an email asking

"Don't suppose you fancy 'playing' the detective, do you?!
Involves wrapping up the denouement at the end of the night…."

It involved a bit more than that... but it was great fun.

Denise, second from the left in the photograph, did a fantastic job of writing the script and directing. Basing it around a talk on palaeontology by the eminent Professor Pebble and setting it in the fossil galleries of the museum. Sadly the poor professor didn't make it past the end of his lecture as he was the victim of cyanide poisoning.

The rest of us, that being - myself, Morag Maple, member of the museum committee and amateur sleuth; Miss Lucy Lee, the professor's devoted assistant; Lady Eva Dawson, the Professors first love: and her husband Mr John Dawson, the professors rival in palaeontology and former friend plus around 30 people who made up the audience, then retired to the cafe to wait for the police to arrive.

However as the police were all at a ball in Kirkwall and this is 1870 and there are no churchill barriers to nip across in your horse drawn carriage, they would have to get a boat and it was going to take some time to get here. So, of course there was nothing else to be done but all sit down to enjoy our meal and solve the murder whilst we waited.

Suspects were questioned, clues were revealed and accusations flung. I of course had it figured out from the start (thanks to having the name of the murderer written in my note book) but it would have been no fun at all to reveal it before the coffee had been served.

The murder was solved and all went as planned (phew!) and everyone certainly seemed to have enjoyed themselves. I know the cast did. We were all shattered at the end of the evening but it was a great idea for fundraising and we had fun putting it on.

And even the ghost of Professor Pebble made an appearance.... although we do think it may have been Magnus flapping around outside with a sheet over his head but it did get a huge laugh.

Well done everyone!