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PARSLEY'S COMMLOCK
Event review : 'Krimidinner' murder mystery dinner, Hamburg
A firm based at www.galadinner.de organise a selection of evening entertainment built around a gala dinner. This one is a murder mystery based on the 1960's German Edgar Wallace films.
My liking of the English 'Tales of Edgar Wallace' TV mystery shows tempted me to watch the German version. It's all set in England but as it's filmed in Germany it features VW camper van police cars! The English version was an hour-long show, while the German version is feature film length. The DVD collections of the films include English dubbing, which is enjoyably actually English rather than American.
It has a weird charm, not least because the actors and actresses are generally unknown to me, although Klaus Kinski makes several appearances. They usually follow the pattern of a whodunit in the extended 'Inspector Morse' and 'Midsomer Murders' format, although they are more 'comic book' with villains like'The Frog in the Mask'. There is also some comic relief, with a bumbling Scotland Yard detective's assistant. Ultimately there is some frightening suspense, and usually a surprise when the culprit is revealed.
The dinner inspired by the films was conducted entirely in German, and I was lucky to have a friend prepared to translate for me. On arrival, guest punters were treated to colourful cocktails, with a non-alcoholic green kiwi fruit option available. 5 flamboyantly dressed characters were the performers of the piece. One of them - a butler dressed in a kilt - organised us going through to the ballroom where the dinner was held. We were announced as 'Lord' or 'Lady' whatever our real name was, come to pay our respects at the wake for the master of this Scottish castle. Our host was his widow. Also present were his flirty daughter, his cynical nephew, and a strange Uncle.
A couple of punters found themselves immediately involved, being introduced as the lawyer about to read the will, and the Doctor who had issued the death certificate. There were contemporary jokes as we went along. For instance, in Germany when you see a Doctor these days you have to pay 10 Euros. So when the punter 'Doctor' fails to react to someone being poisoned, they conclude he was waiting for his 10 Euros.
Peter Thomas wrote the music for the original shows, and it played over the speakers between the 'acts'. There was also Ron Goodwin's 'Miss Marple' music, as this is another favourite in Germany. The food was extremely posh in the 'nouvelle cuisine' style. Although the courses didn't look like a lot individually, by the end of the evening I was quite full. It included smoked salmon, oxtail soup, roast beef, and a mint mousse for desert. Most of the punters were dressed smartly, and a few got into the spirit by dressing as detective characters. I was wearing my 3-piece suit made by a guy who had made suits for Patrick Macnee (Steed from The Avengers).
Ironically it was a very stormy night (cue thunder and lightning effects) in the Scottish Castle that we were in. At the same time severe storms were raging in the UK. The German audience members weren't Hamburg locals, but had come from all over Germany. I sat next to a guy from Frankfurt. All were good natured and got into the spirit of it.
At the end we were invited to say whodunit, why and even what their punishment should be. Despite my long detective experience I got it totally wrong. There was a prize draw from the people that got it right.
From the Marriott Hotel's point of view, it was a good way to get some action on a Sunday, which is generally not a well-attended night for hotels. The price of the dinner included a night's stay in a lavish hotel room, and breakfast from a very well stocked buffet restaurant the following morning. It wasn't cheap, but it was probably the best value way to have such an experience.
The firm behind the dinner does other similar events, including a Dracula dinner, a Wild West dinner, and even a Mafia one. All in all it was very enjoyable and brought my German Edgar Wallace DVDs to life. I'm hoping to find an English event performed with similar panache.
Band tip : Supporting Sparks
Having plugged Sparks forthcoming '21 albums in 21 concerts' in this column I was amazed to find they are actually inviting people to make youtube submissions to earn a support slot. Well that's one way to get in, and certainly a dream gig I will feel obliged to compete for. More info at myspace.com/allsparks.
Concert tip : Gilbert O'Sullivan at Glastonbury
More amazing concert news as Gilbert O'Sullivan is going to play Glastonbury this year. Don't think it will tempt me to brave the mud, but nice to hear this iconic songwriter get some high profile recognition.
parsley@gardenrecords.com [www.gardenrecords.com]
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