Mystery Shows?- Page 2

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/14/19 at 10:45pm

BIG BALONEY said: " Sure wish we had some decent mystery plays written and produced instead of what's the current trend. The problems with revivals are most mystery fans know the outcome. I also miss the boulevard comedies that made it fun to go to the theatre."

I think TV has replaced both of those functions. So-called "procedurals"--which are really modern whodunits--dominate television drama and the sitcom largely replace those boulevard comedies. And why not? Actors AND writers make far more money from a hit TV series than most straight plays.

[magictodo123]

Posted: 10/15/19 at 7:06am

LLW2 said: "The Mousetrap."

I saw this in London last year! I loved it. 

[magictodo123]

Posted: 10/15/19 at 7:14am

GavestonPS said: "Redhead (musical)
Dr. Cook's Garden
Ladies in Retirement
Dangerous Corner
Rope
Moose Murders
Entertaining Mr. Sloan
Loot

Some of the above are not so much "whodunit?" as "willthey get caught?" The culprit(s) are revealed early.

In the 1980s, there was a theater in Chelsea that did little but mysteries and thrillers. I directed two of the above titles for them. You might try googling Apple Corps Theatre; you'll get a list of six of the dozens and dozens of plays they did over the years. I don't know why those six are listed, but you could check them out.


"

Oh my goodness I know about Moose Murders. A while ago I was curious about the shortest runs of shows on Broadway and it came up. The plot...oy. What a mess. But I am quietly searching for a playbill...I know it's next to impossible, but it'd be very cool.

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/15/19 at 8:00am

Act 1 of "A Few Good Men" is essentially a mystery, then Act 2 shifts to a courtroom drama after the first scene reveals the solution.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 10/15/19 at 10:43am

Nick & Nora

Witness for the Prosecution

Angel Street (though more thriller than mystery)

Wait Until Dark

Sleuth

Death Trap

An Inspector Calls

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/15/19 at 11:40am

Can someone explain to me what "Boulevard comedy" is?   (Didn't get a very satsifying answer with a google search.)  I'm unfamiliar with the term.

[magictodo123]

Posted: 10/15/19 at 11:49am

dramamama611 said: "Can someone explain to me what "Boulevard comedy" is? (Didn't get a very satsifying answer with a google search.) I'm unfamiliar with the term."

I don't know if this helps at all, but I found this on Wikipedia...

Boulevard theatre consists mostly of comedies but also dramas. In general, the characters are simply drawn, ordinary or easily understandable. There is a strong tendency to avoid touchy subjects, such as politics and religion. The style is not designed to challenge preconceived ideas or offend. Examples include such sex comedies as La Cage aux Folles and Boeing Boeing.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 10/15/19 at 1:43pm

There's a really great musical that ran off Broadway called Murder for Two. It was a two-actor spoof of a murder mystery where one actor played the inspector and the other played all 13 suspects, and they both played piano.

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 10/15/19 at 4:05pm

Murder on the Orient Express was recently adapted into a play by Ken Ludwig. 

[Danasi]

Posted: 10/16/19 at 2:18pm

It's off Broadway, but Perfect Crime is another you could probably add to your list