This past weekend, some members of the Triangle Sisters in Crime took part in a murder mystery game via Zoom called the Great British Bump Off. A take off on a play by the same name which premiered at the Hexagon in Reading, England last September, it was, like the play, a take-off on the Great English Baking Show. I am addicted to this show, which features two judges and a dozen bakers in a tent, where a group of amateur bakers compete against each other in a series of rounds, attempting to impress a group of judges with their baking skills.
The scene of the Great British Bump Off has to be the tent in a field in Welford Park, the existing house a private residence built on the site of a monastery in Newbury and belonging to the same family for 400 years.
Baking is done in a tent in a field adjacent to the house.
Description: Tension is high inside the big white tent because itās time for this yearās bakers to face judgment and elimination. But wait! Stop those timers! Our esteemed judge, Shaw G. Bottom, has just been discovered dead in the judgeās tent. The bread round just turned into the dead round.
Populating the tent are a number of colorful characters, among them:
- Victoria SpongeĀ ā a baker from the Isle of Wight. Dressed in white with a slim red belt, Victoria is confident about her classic appeal.
- Mac OāRoonĀ ā a baker from Belfast. In his orange shirt, green trousers and with his golf bag to hand, Mac is a golfer whoās ready to play the long game.
- Sasha TorteĀ ā a baker from Cumbria. This handwriting expert is dressed in dark brown with a frothy white scarf. She always has a piece of chocolate nearby!
- Brandy Snap ā a baker from Gloucestershire. In her jodhpurs and hacking jacket, Brandy knows how to hunt and how to win.
- Spice-Twice BryceĀ ā a baker from Edinburgh. With his calculator, pen and paper always close to hand, this mathematician knows whose number is up.
- Whitey BloomerĀ ā a baker from Devon. Dressed in his gardening clothes and wellies, Whitey knows the old ways are best.
I played Whitey Bloomer, part Luddite, part wolf (he is infatuated with Victoria Sponge). The game consists of three rounds of short presentations by each player, the first to introduce themselves and the other two to add information to their bios. In between, the bakers are asked questions by their fellow bakers, the questions designed to elicit facts to help the players figure out āwho done it.ā Ā The whole thing is moderated by a Chief Investigator.
I took copious notes, then winnowed down what I learned to motive, means and opportunity. We had a large number of players, so there was a lot of information, much of it not useful. In the end we are asked to name the murderer. I had two people at the top of my list, and the second of these was the murderer because I had missed a clue. Drat!
Since we were doing this by Zoom, most of us chose to dress as our characters from the neck up. The best I could do is a worn denim shirt and an old fishermanās cap.
I would say it was great fun. It might have been better to have fewer characters to speed it up ā it took over three hours ā and to let non-characters sit in and guess the murderer, allowing unscripted questions at the end.
You can download this game for a modest price From Red Herring Games and it will accommodate from two to twenty players.
That’s a great idea! A few (dozen) years ago there was a fad for murder mysteries at a dinner party, which came in a box. The Host(ess) invited the required number of people (6 or 8 I think), giving them their ‘character sheet’ and they arrived in various states of dress, to be given some information during drinks, first course, second course and with the denouement at pudding (dessert). I ran one of them, a high society banking murder, a couple of times. I never did the murder on the train one, but I did bring both with me!
Doing it again on Zoom, is quite an idea….if I have time to sort it out!
So you should do it with some friends!
That sounds like a lot of fun, Noelle. Thanks for explaining how it works. I was intrigued when you mentioned in my blog comments the other day, although the length would do me in!
I did suggest to the organizers that they have a smaller cast of characters the next time. I would be happy to sit and listen and then try to figure out the murderer. Maybe they could offer prizes to those that do?
Cool!
Looks like you had a grand time. Last Christmas, well 2019 I was prevailed upon to write a murder mystery for my family and another with whom we always get together over Xmas. Goodness now that was hard but everyone seemed to enjoy it. Here’s a link, in case you’re interested… https://geofflepard.com/2019/12/16/murder-mystery-the-definitive-how-to-not/?
Thanks for the link, Geoff. We plan to do more and this might be fun for my critique group (two of us have been in it for 11 years!)
They are very enjoyable
What fun.
I know this must be a cover-up – the murder victim was undoubted at the start wearing a denim shirt and a fisherman’s hat. And you thought you’d got away with it…!
Yes, I was covered up!
You should market this as the perfect pandemic game. š¤£ Sounds like great fun. I love that you got into the spirit of the game by dressing up.
I think Red Herring is pulling in the money and I hope they make another one, maybe a take of on Murder on the Orient Express?
Sounds like good fun, and that’s a nice looking piece of Red Velvet, Noelle š š
I do love a good red velvet cake – it is so southern!
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This sounds like SO MUCH FUN! Three hours on Zoom would do me in, so yes, a few less potential murderers would be the ticket. And think – all those great desserts!! š Since my last name is Wight, I’d definitely go with the Victoria Sponge.
Not sure why I became Whitey. I am definitely not a gardener!
I wrote this murder mystery game! Iām so glad you and your friends enjoyed playing it.
Congratulations! You did a good job! It was great fun…
Like you….. my wife and I played a murder mystery game between UK lockdowns but in person, rather than via zoom. It was a lot of fun that everyone perhaps enjoy more because it was a chance to socialise. By strange coincidence it also had a foodie theme with a celebrity chef as one of the suspects. Thankfully, this chef didn’t do anything accept read my lines!! š
It was hard doing it by Zoom – but it gave me the opportunity to take notes!