Steampunk Murder Mystery on New Westminster Paddlewheeler
By Ed Appleby, Illustrator
It’s a murder mystery with a steampunk twist! Times Past Entertainment is bringing their much loved Steampunk Murder Mystery to New Westminster for the first time on September 27, hosting it onboard the Vancouver Paddlewheeler docked in Westminster Quay.
The event includes an original murder mystery play based around a ragtag group of mechanically inclined adventurers who enact the crime in which one of them is unceremoniously done in. But pay attention, as it is up to the guests to help solve the case. One lucky witness who correctly guesses who the murderer is will go home with a prize package.
The concept was developed by Christina Carr and her husband Martin Hunger, an actor and a prop designer who started Times Past Entertainment in order to showcase their talents. They assembled a cast of likeminded actors to play reoccurring characters, performing their shows at various venues around the Lower Mainland and selling-out shows at the last two Emerald City Comic Cons.
When asked why they take on such a unique venture, Carr said: “We’re actors who have gotten together to create our own employment. We’re all unique, and it’s a little harder to get mainstream employment when you’re unique. We like steampunk, and wanted something to do with the characters, and no one had done it yet.”
But why go with a steampunk theme rather than the traditional turn-of-the-century period that most murder mystery plays take place in, like Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap?
“It’s gadget-y. You can build and create and express. It has so many layers that it keeps things interesting,” she said.
And build, they do. From weapons and props made from everyday materials to a fully mobile robotic dog, the props built for these shows are unique and fascinating.
Carr writes the script from scratch for each show a few weeks ahead of time, workshopping it with her actors only a few times.
“You want it to be fresh and new. It keeps it interesting and appealing, and a lot harder to pinpoint who did it. Each character has an established personality, and that’s a challenge that keeps it interesting for me,” she said.
The evening Steampunk Murder Mystery cruise takes place on September 27 at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 and available online at VancouverPaddlewheeler.com.
For more information about Times Past Entertainment, check out the group’s website at TimesPastEnt.com
