An amateur theatre group from Peterborough has used the pandemic to its advantage developing an interactive murder mystery movie.
Yaxley Amateur Players have created Lethal Lockdown in a bid to raise funds to help the group survive.
Theatres and the industry as a whole has been hard hit by the pandemic and that’s also had an impact on local theatre groups.
Group member, Diane Pickett, has written and directed an interactive murder mystery movie, set during the lockdown. The movie’s been filmed in the group members’ gardens, via mobile phones in their houses, via zoom and out on location.
Diane said – “We are doing something that no other amateur group has done, and it is exciting to be doing something very different from our usual live shows.”
Lethal Lockdown is being sold as a pay per view show that will be aired on Saturday November 14. Audiences can purchase a view through the group’s website, you’ll then be able to watch the movie and try to guess who the murderer is. The murderer will then be announced via a link later in the evening. Audiences send in their answers via email after watching the show and the winner will be contacted that evening via email.
Lethal Lockdown is fully interactive and allows the group to reach a wider audience during the pandemic. Only one view per household needs to be purchased and families and friends can get together to watch and join in with the guessing.
It was important to the group to do something during the pandemic as at this time of year they would normally be rehearsing for their annual panto which they’ve never missed in the groups 40-year history.
“The group is like one big family and so not only does this help keep the group surviving, it also means that the members still feel part of something and have something exciting to do during this time,” said Diane.
Lethal Lockdown is set in the sleepy village of Cwakesby, rumour has it that there’s a pandemic looming, but no-one is taking it seriously.
The local drama group, CAP’s (Cwakesby Amateur Players), are in the throes of rehearsing a murder mystery play, Murder at the Manor, when lockdown is announced. Billy, Chairman of the group, calls an online committee meeting to discuss their options.
After 6 weeks of lockdown, Billy, is found strangled.
Is it just a coincidence that Billy’s character in Murder at the Manor is also strangled?
Could it be that the murders that took place in the play are being replicated for some reason?
In which case there are three other members of CAP’s who need to stay alert in more ways than one!
For tickets visit www.yap.org.uk
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