Who killed Abigail Anderson?

By Justina Lui

Abigail Anderson, rising starlet and a leading lady of the big budget West End show Hit the Sky has been found dead after opening night. Police suspect foul play but with Detective Mr. E. Solver on hiatus, it is up to you, dear reader, to solve the case! With more of a nod to the glamorous world of Agatha Christie than the drudgery of Sherlock Holmes’ Victorian England, Mysterious Mysteries! gives you the chance to star in and solve your very own murder case. Akin to a life sized game of Cluedo, complete with caseboard located outside the Open Stage and suspects with alliterated names, this fun whodunit is well worth a lunchtime!

Having stumbled upon the writer of the show, Terence Turtleson, tapping away on South Lawn by chance, I was soon drawn into their world of shady characters and showbiz rivalries. My bumbling attempts at questioning were encouraged and so armed with a case sheet and 5 pre-prepared questions, I began to sniff out the characters scattered all around campus. On the first “Game Day” (August 12) the tyranny of distance between characters may have made all but keenest detectives lose interest however this was rectified by the second Game Day (August 19) and there were queues for interview appointments with some suspects!

Each character was very well signposted and had created their own set in the open. The cast (Danielle Asciak, Kieran Bullock, Sara-Tabitha Catchpole, Tim Fitzgerald, Sharon Flynn, Terry Kenos and Dylan Morgan) were all fabulous in bringing theatre to the people in the most literal sense. What could have been awkward silences were smoothed over by ad libbing in character and it was this marvellous attention to detail in each of the characters’ props, costume, mannerisms and accents that added to the thrill of piecing together the facts.

So who was it? Was it the writer in the wings? The star in her dressing room? What do the mysterious initials “F.F.I” stand for? You be the detective!

Mysterious Mysteries! final game day is this Wednesday August 26, 12pm-1.30pm. Murderer revealed at the Mudfest Awards Night, Saturday August 29. More info at www.heistproductions-mm.blogspot.com

Mysterious Mudfest

Reading the program for Mudfest 11 can be a little overwhelming. There are so many artists producing so much work all over campus. But there is even more to Mudfest then first meets the eye. Some artists have taken the festivals theme of “hidden spaces” to heart, and have hidden their art all over campus. “The really really hidden spaces are the most interesting” says Festival Director David Ryding. “The main part of one project is not advertised, and I reckon maybe only five people will see it. It’s about seeing the campus with different eyes”.

One project that will be hiding clues all over campus is Heist Production’s Mysterious Mysteries! Literally “Cludeo” without the board, Mysterious Mysteries! encourages the general public to engage with the characters, collect the clues, and solve the mystery through a mixture of roving street performance and improvised theatre. The case opens with a performance during Mudfest’s Opening Night party when a talented young actress falls to her death and a cast of crooked characters are implicated in her murder.

Keep you eyes on Mudmap for more information as the mystery unfolds.

If you find any “hidden spaces” as part of Mudfest let us know at mudmapzine@gmail.com