Co-producers DMS Productions and Little Angel Theatre bring The Mystery of Pleasance Two to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer. Star and super-sleuth Danyah Miller lets us know a bit more about the show.
“Calling all trainee detectives! Join us for The Mystery of Pleasance Two, an award-winning, board game-style theatre show where your skills are needed to solve this thrilling murder mystery. From the creators of I Believe in Unicorns comes this new brain-teasing interactive adventure. Team up with super sleuth Danyah Miller to navigate through secrets and surprises. We’ll examine evidence, inspect video footage and interrogate suspects, every clue bringing us closer to the truth. Can we crack the case together? Expect intrigue, mischief, spontaneity and a sprinkle of magic. Get involved… get it solved!”
Where: Pleasance Two at Pleasance Courtyard
When: 5-16 Aug (not 12)
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-mystery-of-pleasance-two
What is the show about, and where did the idea come from?
The Mystery of Pleasance Two is a board-game-style theatre show with the audience – our Trainee Detectives – at the very centre of the action. Together, we examine evidence, inspect video footage and interrogate suspects, working collaboratively to uncover who committed the crime. Each clue brings us closer to the truth. The challenge is to work out whose name is in the “Who Did It?” envelope before the end of the show; the fun is to collectively solve the puzzle.
The idea grew out of my long-standing passion for spontaneous storytelling. Back in 2022, I took the idea of creating a show, with improv at its heart, to director Dani Parr and designer Kate Bunce, with whom I’d already created four solo shows. As we all share a love of board games and escape rooms, we decided to devise an original board game murder mystery, set in a theatre – the business we know best. We wanted to push theatre conventions and stretch ourselves creatively.
We gathered a brilliant creative team, including composer and sound designer Arun Ghosh and invited Robin Stevens, author of the bestselling Murder Most Unladylike books, to be our writing consultant. We also worked with a fantastic group of Super Sleuths – local children aged 6–11 – whose curiosity and ideas inspired us and helped shape the show.
Sell the show to a potential audience in one sentence!
A cross between a Cluedo-style board game, an escape room and murder mystery evening – fast-paced, playful and different every time!
What does the Fringe mean to you, and do you have any particular memories?
I first participated in the Fringe as a student in the late 1980s, and I’ve been part of it in one way or another ever since – from audience member to usher, catering assistant and box office manager to producer and performer. What keeps me coming back to Edfringe (my home is now in Edinburgh) is the incredible mix of creativity and artistry; risky and commercial, avant- garde and family-friendly, serious and gloriously silly. It’s noisy, chaotic, exhausting and exhilarating, and I love it just as much now as I did the first time. The Fringe feels like home.
I have so many memories, but seeing our show’s name chalked up on the SOLD OUT board at Pleasance Courtyard has to be one for the top of my list. Of course the 5 Star reviews or awards are pretty special too. Our various award certificates, framed on my office wall, are small reminders of big Fringe wins!
What are you looking forward to in Edinburgh?
I look forward to the rhythm of Fringe life: walking through the city, flyering, chance encounters, off-the-cuff conversations. I love being inspired by other people’s work, bumping into theatre colleagues and meeting up with old friends. There’s nowhere quite like Edinburgh, a beautiful city all year round, transformed each summer by its numerous, famous festivals.
I’m really looking forward to being back at Pleasance Two, sharing this show with new audiences, seeing whether or not, together, we can crack the case. I love seeing families sit shoulder to shoulder, whispering, debating, reassessing, shouting out and piecing together their theories. I get such a thrill if, in the final vote, we choose the right suspect…. And, as you’d expect from any good board game, the end isn’t always the same.
What’s next for the show?
After Edinburgh, we’re heading out on a six-week autumn UK tour. The show continues to evolve each time we re-rehearse. Dani, Kate and I are always refining, adjusting and responding to what we’ve learned from audiences. This ongoing development is central to how the three of us work together.
Longer term, we love the idea of an adult-oriented version of the show; how much fun would that be! Come along. We need you to ‘Get involved and Get it Solved’