You become the detective for a 1950s Christmas murder mystery, investigating suspects and uncovering clues in Nottingham’s historic Shire Hall.
It’s never too soon to start planning your Christmas parties and, at the National Justice Museum this year, you can be transported back to the glamour of the 1950s in an interactive murder mystery.
This Christmas, there’s a brand-new immersive murder mystery just for the festive season, and, for the first time, their team of costumed interpreters take on two roles each in a play within a play!
It’s December of 1953, and you’ve been invited to a Christmas murder mystery dinner at the Shire Hall, which will be performed by the Broadmarsh Players AmDram Society (not a real amateur dramatics company). A shortage of actors has meant that some of the behind-the-scenes staff have had to join the principal actors for the show to go on!
This classic detective game has everyone dressed in their character colours, but as the plot unfolds, it seems the actors may be hiding more than meets the eye behind their fictional roles.
The players have received a telegram from a local playwright Evelyn Johnson, asking them to perform a murder mystery play she’s been working on. But with very little information on the event, the ensemble are feeling more than a little unsettled. After gathering the audience in the courtroom, the players dive into their first sleuth pack, in which it is revealed the real reason Evelyn has brought them all here – to solve a murder! The four characters quickly realise they are no longer playing a game, and they themselves have become the suspects…
Playing Lady Crimson, Adelaide Kelly is the glamourous leading lady who is used to being the centre of attention. She’s Nottingham’s It-Girl and has plenty of people who might hold a grudge against her. She knows they’re just jealous of her undeniable star quality.
Donald Day plays Colonel Custard and considers himself the company’s “heartthrob”. His attempts at charm and self-proclaimed status as “Nottingham’s own Fred Astaire” haven’t won over the ladies, though, and his attempts at serious drama are often met with muffled laughs from the audience (and wings).
The company’s stage manager, Jeanie Rogers, has stepped up to play Madame Pigeon. A natural leader with a reputation for being bossy, she’s not sure why she has been requested specifically for the role.
And then there’s Howard Reynolds, the new owner of the Broadmarsh Players, who took over after the previous owner died under mysterious circumstances. He seems like a nice enough person and plays the role of Doctor Damsen well, but there’s something about him that doesn’t quite add up.
This immersive event really puts the audience at the centre of the murder case. Can you uncover the truth by interviewing the suspects, examining the clues, and playing detective to crack the unsolved murder case from their past?
During the evening, you’ll tour this grand, Grade II* listed building searching for clues and interview each suspect in different locations to track down the culprit, before sitting down to a delicious three course Christmas dinner. During the meal, you can mull over details of the crime and deliver your verdict ahead of the big reveal in the Museum’s stunning Victorian courtroom.
Will the actors’ true colours be revealed, or will they continue to get away with murder?
Ding Dong Merrily and Die! A Festive Murder Mystery runs on selected evenings from Saturday 28 November to Saturday 19 December, beginning at 6pm. Tickets are £62.50 per person, including a three-course Christmas meal, arrival fizz cocktail or mocktail, and the interactive murder mystery event.
For more information and to book, visit nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk
Posted on 18 September 2026
