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by Andrew Scott

The moment I stepped into the building I knew this wasn't going to be a 'typical' show. I entered a quaint bar area where guests were enjoying a pre-show cocktail, and Sherlock Holmes was pestering them. When I say pester please understand that I mean that in the most endearing way possible, though there is no other word to describe his actions. Just a few of the awkwardly funny moments he concocted were having me take my place in a family picture (with a family that I'd never met), exclaim across the entire bar that the lady with glasses was madly in love with him (multiple times), and even grill a couple about their relationship status and why a lady would end up with such a man. As obnoxious as these incidents may sound to some, I assure you that they were indeed hilarious and done in good taste. The pre-show, thanks in large part to the antics of Sherlock, was the perfect precursor to the show as many of the guests began to mingle and become comfortable with one another. This is very important considering that Sleuth's Mystery Dinner is almost as much a party as it is a show.

After roughly twenty minutes of greeting with new friends and laughing along to Sherlock, the crowd was ushered into the dining room. The tables were arranged to seat eight people per table, with guests being led to their seats by the actual actors. The greatest part about the seating arrangement is that it forces interaction between complete strangers. If you're a timid one this may be a bit unnerving at first, but the show really wouldn't be as good if each 'group' was broken off into their own little section. On a side note, everyone at my table was lively, approachable and an all around joy to be in the company of.

As the rest of the guests were being ushered through I began to look at the show's program to get a feel for what I'd be dealing with this night. I could already tell that I was to be attending an Italian wedding from the greeting I received from the bride's father. Along with the information provided by the actions of the cast and the helpful program, I was settled in and ready to start sleuthing.

Once everyone was situated, the show began! The first part featured a variety of sketches between various cast members. These vignettes provide great insight into each character's disposition, relation to other characters and any underlying quirks that may prove important. Throughout this part of the show there were hints of subtle adlibbing, and any time an audience member spoke out unnecessarily (there was unlimited beer and wine, so this happened more than once) the cast members were extremely effective at wittily, yet tastefully, putting the obnoxious audience members in their place. Towards the end things begin to connect and climax within the sketches until a murder finally took place.

As the sketches wound down, and a mystery now lay before the audience, the feast began. I don't know how it is with the other shows Sleuth's holds, but with the wedding show the dinner perfectly ties into the story, truly creating a feeling that you're at a celebration (despite the recent murder) and not just another show. As we dined, my table discussed the various possibilities as to the killer with nearly every character having a credible reason as to why they might commit murder. Overall, the food was great, and I actually enjoyed the pause in the entertainment as it gave me time to bond with my table mates once more.

After the food, the cast came back to take questions from the audience, with one cast member proceeding as the mc of the affair. Each table was to come up with one question to ask any cast member, and one representative from each table would share that question. This was probably the most fun part of the show as it gave everyone a chance to try and stump the actors (plus my table deigned me 'table leader'). Of course, that proved to be a tough task as they quickly dismissed any truly groundbreaking questions with slight of speech, and heckled those who offered less than satisfactory questions (my table's question fell somewhere in between the two extremes.)

After the questioning took place, we were presented with dessert and one last chance to think about who had committed murder. After dessert we talked it over once more, and each person filled out their personal ballot. Once the cast ensured that the ballots were filled out the mystery began to unravel. I hate to spoil anything for those that may see this particular show, so I'll (and have been) try to keep the details as brief as possible. But suffice to say, that once the murder had been solved the cast went around checking the ballots. If you'd happened to guess right (which I didn't - only because I was tricked), then you are present with a token. For a grand finale the casts draws from a basket, and one lucky token holder walks away with a super sweet Sleuth's price.

While the concept of interaction and creating a lively atmosphere is certainly half of what makes Sleuth's Dinner Mystery such an enjoyable show, there is one other major element that allows this show to succeed: the actors and actresses. Depending on the quality of the cast, there is a very good chance that a show like Sleuth's will either be exceptional or exceptionally bad. Thankfully, Sleuth's Mystery Dinner Theatre presented an astoundingly talented group of individuals who could carry a certain nuance, as well as provide comic relief. The cast members present the night I saw the performance were: Jessica Huckabey, Kevin White, Kimberly Wood, Ward Ferguson and Will Hagaman. And they were all stellar at what they did. Sadly, I never caught the name of the gentleman that portrayed Sherlock Holmes before the show. Though he is a tall, reddish-haired, young man, and will definitely present you with a hilarious time if you happen to make his acquaintance.