MURDER MYSTERY FAQs

For private parties and corporate events looking for entertaining options in Europe, we provide a variety of fun approaches for murder mystery dinners across the continent for various groups and gatherings. We have choices that range from using participants in the show to strictly using our actors. Below you will find some of our more frequently asked questions about events in Paris, London, Milan, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Athens, and the rest of Europe!

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MURDER MYSTERIES

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

A murder mystery dinner show for your private parties, banquets, corporate events and charity fundraising in Europe customized for you has proven to be perfect for entertaining groups of all kinds. So exactly what is a murder mystery dinner and what does it entail? To answer this and more specific queries, we have assembled a list of frequently asked questions here, along with appropriate answers.

Q: Do you perform public shows?

A: While most of our shows are private parties and corporate events, often the restaurants, country clubs and golf clubs that we work with sell tickets to their shows. This means that the show may be a public event. From our side, however, we consider it a direct relationship where we are contracted to produce the event. For all intents and purposes it is a private event for us. That being said, when it is public the people in the audience don't know each other and it becomes more important for the entertainment to reflect that fact. Therefore, our private parties and public shows can look quite different.

Straight Murder Mystery Dinners

The industry standard brings 4-7 actors interacting with your crowd leading up to a murder and a comedic investigation. Meet and talk with the crazy cast of characters, witness a crime and then work together to solve it!

Ambush Mysteries

We create a scenario where the audience is unaware that a murder mystery show is taking place. Up until the dead body hits the floor, they think it is really happening. The relief lets them break loose and have a great time!

Participation Mysteries

Our suite of participation mysteries that we call the Cambridge Solution because we thought it was Cambridge Smart when we came up with it, has people from your group play characters. These leaders interact and the others work as teams to solve the crime. It is a great way to get your people directly involved!

The Oxford Oration

For larger groups, going table to table can be overwhelming. For this, we have the suspects take the stage and give speeches about their involvement. They get out the basic informaton and are provided with two options for two different speeches so that they always have some control over their journey!

Mix-And-Mingle Mysteries

For smaller groups of up to 30 people, you can have everyone play a character and interact. Our Victorian Plan allows for groups to have more face time with one another and build familiarity. This helps with icebreaking at the beginning of events.

Teambuilding Mysteries

Enhance the ability of people to collaborate and work together in a competitive environment by trying to solve a whodunnit with our comedic elements thrown in to help them have a great time!

Q: You say that you customize shows, how customized are they?

A: For our full shows or galas, every script is unique and written for the show and group involved. There may be certain elements that have been repeated over the years, but we tailor directly to you. Additionally, all of our performers have years of improvisational training and public performances under their belt. This means that their improv skills are fully taken advantage of and can react to the situations around them. Literally, we could not perform the same show twice even if we tried. For smaller events such as the Cambridge Solutions or Victorian Plan mix-and-mingles, these may be very similar to past shows, but even these are customized some to the group involved.

Q: What makes a THEY improv Murder Mystery different from others?

A: We stand out in the murder mystery business in a lot of ways. The most obvious is that our cast is comprised of some of the top improvisational comedy talent. This means that the show not only has a great interactive experience for the audience, but that the entire cast adjusts to the changing needs and comedic energy of the group involved. Secondly, we never forget that the emphasis is on entertainment, not on mystery. The show is designed to entertain the audience more than perplex them. To that effect, we push the murder back in the plot allowing for a larger amount of audience interaction and fun prior to the murder and a shorter interrogation time. In some shows the detective is the star. In ours, the comedy is. Remember, we are THEY improv. The shows are not about us, they're for the enjoyment of our audience. It's about what THEY need. Thirdly, some murder mystery companies try to beat the audience and not even give out the prizes. We guarantee that someone will have been correct in their solution of the murder mystery for our full shows, unless our client doesn't want it for some strange reason. There are a lot of ways we're different. The best way for you to find out how is to contact us for a show and see for yourself!

WE CAN THEME YOUR PARTY
We have many themes and can customize to just about any other that you can think of. Some of the more common themes include: The 1920s or 1930s for a Prohibition Era party, A Millionaire's Mansion, A Movie Mogul, Mobsters, A Wedding and many others. We have conducted murder mystery dinner shows with everything from the Versace Mansion to Gilligan's Island. If you want to have a particular theme, just let us know!

Q: What is interactive as opposed to immersive?

A: Generally, when someone refers to a show being interactive, it means that the performers will talk to the audience, either to get input or a reaction. Because interactive is a term used and understood in the industry, we tend to use the term incorrectly. Our shows are more accurately referred to as immersive. An immersive performance is where our actors fully participate in the audience experience and can be mistaken as audience members. Some audience members can also be confused with performers. This immersive experience enhances the entire event and increases the involvement of the audience members to the point of maintaining full attention.

More FAQs

Is your material appropriate for younger or sensitive audience members?

Younger or more sensitive audience members should have no problem enjoying a night of fun and clean comedy when we takes the stage. We are predisposed to performing clean comedy shows. If, however, we are requested to become more lively in our performance, we may do so. After all, our murder mysteries are custom-tailored for the audience involved. If you have more than just a couple of children but are instead throwing a gathering for a group of kids, we have specific themes written for children. To ensure a great evening simply inform us at the time of contracting for the show.

I have a small group. Can I have you perform for us?

Smaller groups can get cost-prohibitive for murder mysteries, but we may still be able to help. Although our more standard murder mysteries have custom-tailored scripts and 4-8 actors, we do have other options to bring the cost down. This can be even more important for non-profit organizations looking to have a fundraiser. There are two additional approaches we can take. First, is our Cambridge Solution. This is called the Cambridge Solution because we considered it to be Harvard smart when we developed it. It uses 4-10 of your group as characters in the murder. More information is on our Cambridge Murder Mystery Page. Second, for even smaller groups, we have our Victorian Plan. It's really the Cambridge Solution redesigned to either use everyone as a character in more of a mix-and-mingle setup. This is where everyone is a character and they mix and mingle randomly both asking and answering questions.

Are your murder mysteries like a play?

While we prefer the immersive experience, we can perform "Presentational Murder Mysteries." This is performed on a stage or raised area with sound system like a play and with limited audience interaction. This is usually done for much larger groups and is more heavily scripted. This tends to have a higher cost because of the writing involved.

Can my people play some of the parts?

We have a variety of offerings. Some of our offerings are designed as a mix and mingle party that allows your participants to interview each other to try to determine the culprit. Another offering allows some of your people to play the roles being interrogated by our detective and the audience to determine the culprit. But for our signature immersive murder mystery dinners, you want to limit the exposure of your people as performers. Quite frankly, they're simply not professional, and our people are. But we will customize any event to you and follow your lead as to who you want to participate. So the short answer? Yes, but it isn't our recommendation.

What kind of venues are you available to perform in?

We are capable of performing anywhere. After all, we are improvisational. We are used to making do and reacting to what is at hand. Generally we perform in banquet spaces and dining rooms, though we've been known to operate in bars, in patio areas or even out on a golf course. The question usually comes down to an ability to be seen and heard by the audience. The real answer is that you should contact us if you have a venue that you have a question about and we are certain that we can find a way to make it work.

Do you help with ticket sales or publicity?

We are happy to help with some publicity. We'll share our graphics and make them available to you and will brainstorm with you to provide fun themes to help get media attention. We can not take responsibility for the ability to market a show, will not guarantee any level of attendance and will not directly handle any ticket sales for legal reasons. We do not want to become responsible for sales taxes.

Q: What is an ambush murder mystery?

A: The ambush is an approach where the audience is unaware that a murder mystery is occurring. We create a situation where our players would reasonably be expected to be in the location. After establishing the legitimacy of our characters, we then create situations that would rarely happen at parties. The 'train wreck moments' are designed to get the audience talking about what's going on around them and attempt to intercede on behalf of our characters. Think of it as an elaborate prank being played on your audience. When the death finally occurs, the audience then realizes that they've been had and are led through the process of determining the culprit. One of the major advantages of this form of show is that the audiences expectations are constantly changed.

EVEN MORE FAQs

You don't seem to be located near me, can you still perform for us?

THEY improv is one of the fastest growing murder mystery companies in the world. Right now we provide murder mystery shows in cities across the continent. Likewise, our professionals can travel for an additional fee to other more isolated parts of Europe for a fee. You should simply ask and we might already be there. Additionally, we can serve other areas with a slight charge for travel that may have us still your least expensive option. And if we are not the least expensive? Isn't having the best worth it?

THEY improv is capable of performing anywhere. After all, we are improvisational. We are used to making do and reacting to what is at hand. Generally we perform in banquet spaces, dining rooms, hotels, restaurants, conference centers and theaters. The question usually comes down to an ability to be seen and heard by the audience. The real answer is that you should contact us if you have a venue that you have a question about and we are certain that we can find a way to make it work.

What are your prices for a show?

Because every show is custom designed you have to contact us directly to receive a quote for your banquet. Prices range based on the costs for a show. The more actors, the more props, the larger the event, the more the writing or rehearsal, the higher the cost. When we provide a quote, the prices are usually independent of venue, food and technical equipment such as lights and sound. Contact us for a detailed quote.

Will these shows work at a luncheon?

Even though we call them dinners, the reality is that a lot of our events take place during the day. Lunch is quite common and it operates basically the same, though often there is no cocktail hour. It can be a great idea to entertain your employees without keeping them after hours. Likewise, an ambush at lunch works well with our people to look like a regular team building group or lecturer. Contact us to find ideas that might work for your group based on your timing.

Are there gunshots at your shows?

Generally no, but we work based on our direction from our clients. Based on the desires of the client, we may have gunshots (blanks, of course), stabbings, etc. All such things are usually done to comedic effect and may require authorization of the venue and appropriate security staffs. Likewise, the Client must indemnify us and indicate to potential guests with any conditions the inherent issues or concerns. If you are the one hiring us for a private party or corporate event, then whether there are gunshots is up to you. But as mentioned, we'd recommend not to have them.

THEY improv can provide participation murder mystery dinner shows throughout Europe and in all the countries of the European Union. This includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lituania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. Though Norway, Albania, Switzerland, Türkiye, and the UK are not part of the EU, we certainly serve events throughout the region. Likewise, our professionals can travel to all other parts of the continent.

UK

The United Kingdom speaks English. While America says they speak English, we understand the difference! There are some things that we can teach the originators, though. We have developed team building techniques in the New World that can help enhance your company in ways you have yet to imagine! We can cover all of the UK, whether in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

France

While many consider the French as being unfriendly to Americans, the reality is much different. There are many American companies operating in France and the employees need entertainment forms that cater to them and like having activities that can be shared with their Franch counterparts!

Germany

Most Americans think of German and remember the phrase "Tear down this wall." We do this every day! Our focus is to help to tear down the walls that separate employees and bring them together in unique and special ways. This includes Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Bonn, Frankfurt and everywhere else.

Portugal

Portugal is an amazing country with a rich history. There are many Ex-Pats living here that look to get a bit of home entertainment when possible. We are proud to serve the British in the Algarve, American companies in Lisbon, Porto, and elsewhere. Contact us to find out how we can help your group.

Italy

While formerly the center of the world, it is still a major hub of commercial activity and for tourists. For the businesses that operate here that work with Americans, we can help to provide cultural training and team building that can cross borders. For tourists and companies in Rome, Naples, Venice, Milan, Florence, and elsewhere, we can provide American team building and entertainment..

Switzerland

While known for being neutral, there is little that will keep you from developing a strong love for the country. Each city has a unique personality and they all have a combination of languages. Whether in Zurich, Bern, Geneva or anywhere else, you are likely to have guests that speak a variety of languages. Sometimes the easiest is to operate in English. For such events, we are ready to serve you,

Greece

The Netherlands

Spain

Norway

Sweden

Finland

Denmark

Austria

Belgium

Scotland

Ireland

Iceland

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW

WHAT IS THE OCCASION?

The first step is to determine your needs. This includes potential goals, desires and concerns. The more we know about what has already been decided can allow us to narrow the conversation to approaches that interest you.

WHAT ARE THE DETAILS? WHERE? WHEN? HOW MANY PEOPLE?

We need to know the city where the event will be as well as what kind of venue might be used. A date, or date range, for when you would like to have this and what time frame you are looking for will help to determine our commitment and availability. Knowing the size of your group, though that will likely just be an estimate, will allow us to choose appropriate options and have a better feel for the resources required.

DO YOU HAVE A BUDGET IN MIND?

If you know budget limitations, that can allow us to restrict the conversations to those options that will be within your financial constraints. This works in both directions. We don't want to overbuild and propose options that can't be done. Also, we don't want to provide less than we could realizing the resources that could be made available to better achieve your goals.

CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE

We want to hear from you. Email us at info@theyimproveurope.com.

ENTERTAINMENT

PRIVATE PARTIES AND CORPORATE EVENTS

Some of Our Clients

We have worked with over half of the Fortune 500 in the US, and many multi-national companies in Europe. These are just a few of our high-profile clients operating in Europe that have improved their business with our events.