It’s Village Day in Lindfield, and the Primary School hall is a hive of activity as staff, family and friends prepare for the annual carnival. But the activity screeches to a halt with the shocking news that village Mayor Morris Bonson has been found dead floating in the village pond!
But who could have carried out this horrific crime?
Could it be Mr Bottingham the butcher, the PTA chair from rival Whitethorns School or the brash American tourist?
That’s the question posed for players of Lindfield’s thrilling new Murder Mystery game.
Devised by Lindfield Primary PTA members Anna Shears and Robyn Baker-Schiau, the game invites players to take on the roles of key suspects and challenges them to work out who carried out the crime.
The game was unveiled earlier this month and is already being played out by families with older children in the village. “We began writing the scripts back in January when we were still in lockdown, so the original idea was to play it over a zoom call,” Anna explained. “But it’s great that we can now get together in person to play.”
The mystery has three scenes, and each player is invited to step into the role of one of either six, or eight, characters. “We have tried to make the characters larger than life and have included a few accents for fun,” said Anna. “They include the French husband of the PTA chair who is opening a patisserie in the village, the primary school caretaker and even an up-and-coming young journalist from the village magazine Lindfield Live!
“We’ve had some lovely feedback so far, and one player described the characters as similar to those in Motherland, which was great!”
During the game, as the plot unfolds, players try to work out who has committed the crime before the murderer is revealed in the final scene.
“We hope that, by this time, people will have enjoyed the various twists in the plot, as everyone’s lives are intertwined,” said Anna. “It’s a silly game, but hopefully as lot of fun, which people can play at their leisure over the summer, at home, in the garden or even on holiday. All you need are the scripts – dressing up is optional!”
The game (suitable for adults and children 16+) costs £5 per player and all proceeds go directly to the Lindfield Primary School PTA.
To find out more, and order your copy, email: lindfieldmurdermystery@gmail.com.