Roll up! Roll up!

’Murder at the Big Top’, a night of murder, mystery, intrigue and gruesome goings-on, set against the backdrop of a gothic, arcane circus, will take place at the Laxey Institute on Saturday, November 3, from 7.30pm.

Presented by the new theatre group Penny Productions, the evening will be an interactive theatre performance involving story-telling, costume drama that mingles with and involves some, or all, of the audience members to help solve a grisly murder.

Guests who buy a ticket will be assigned to a character prior to the event, and can wear their own costumes.

Penny Productions is the brainchild of award-winning local poets and story-tellers Kim Kneen and Jacqueline Morrey-Grace, and both will feature in the show, alongside another Manx story-teller Vicky Lloyd-West.

Penny Productions was formed to create unusual performances in unusual places, featuring the work of the two writers.

’We want to hold pop-up events that we can create around our spoken word performances,’ said Jacqueline.

’Penny Productions is a mostly darkly-themed, gothic and "steam punk" inspired theatrical group and consists of ourselves plus the occasional guest.

’We want to put on shows where we can tell out stories in weird and wonderful places and obscure locations for our ardent band of followers.

’Our first show, "Murder at the Big Top"is an entertaining and interactive murder mystery based in a circus. I will be Penny Farthing, the host and ringmaster, and our guest performer, Georgia Lisette, will play the detective, and everyone who comes on the night will be given a character.

’Ideally we’d like to encourage everyone in the crowd to take part, especially by wearing fancy dress, although if people don’t want to take part, or are a little shy about speaking, that is fine.

’We are going to create an atmosphere that is dark and smoky, and hopefully create a really strange ambience.

I will be reading some of my own material, and Kim will read some of hers in the middle of the show.

I will also being doing some of my own stuff alongside our group, the Penny Orchestra.’

’Murder at the Big Top’ is being held to celebrate the second anniversary of Without Wings The Manx Autoimmune Arthritis charity.

by Mike Wade

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