A Review of a Murder Mystery Evening at West Compton Manor

I have always wanted to do a murder mystery event and when the opportunity arose to review a Murder Mystery Evening at West Compton Manor I was so excited!  The murder mystery event was to be held in the grand setting of West Compton Manor House which is in Dorset and not far from Weymouth.  The weekend was made even better with an overnight stay in an amazing room.  The whole event is put together by Far Out Theatre who not only provide the entertainment but also cook and serve a delicious five course meal during the evening.  The murder mystery evening arrives from the moment you step into the Manor House.  The butler takes you into the lounge for a hot drink and a slab of cake.  If you are staying in the house your bags find their own way to your room whilst you relax with your cuppa.  We then were shown to our room and got ready for the 7pm Wake back in lounge.  As guests we are not in character, the story goes on around us and we are tasked with observing, questioning and then attempting to solve the crime.

After changing to be dressed appropriately for the Wake we assembled back in the lounge.  Here we met the other guests and were welcomed with a cocktail served with a hint of how things may progress.  There were 8 of us guests and I have been told 10 is an optimum number for this particular evening, the other guests included two couples who had come specifically for the murder mystery evening and the other two guests were staying having booked the B&B for a walking weekend.  They had been told  this was planned for the evening and opted to upgrade their stay and dine and join in.  The drinks flowed well all evening and wine was plentiful and included in the price, the company of the other guests was good and we were soon chatting together.  Dinner was a set menu that we had in advance with a choice of vegetarian or meat main and a choice of desserts.   There is no paying bar, which I understand they are looking to include in the future.  This would be a good addition as if you don’t drink wine there was no beer which my husband would have preferred as he doesn’t drink wine – however I could have informed them of this if I had been thinking ahead.

As the Wake is underway the twists and plot unfolds and we move through to the Orangery for dinner.  The Orangery was beautifully presented, again all accomplished by the Far Out Theatre Company.  Obviously I won’t say anything about the storyline bar the actors were brilliant, they had their backstories tight and answered all our questions with ease. The  food was delicious, rich and I  couldn’t eat it all!  The characters interact with each other as well as us guests who are the local villagers.  We can question characters  and chat about their situation.  Once dinner was complete (which took two hours) we moved back into the lounge where we attempted to record our ‘who dunnit’.  After coffee and cheese the verdict is declared and prizes awarded.  I will say I didn’t get it right – but one of our group did!

The actors then came out of character and shared (another)  drink with us all and chatted about their theatre group who are actually based up north, and they travel down for the event.  They are a really friendly group and this is their hobby.  They are all doing this as a passion and a bit of fun, they all had regular jobs too!

The  ticket for the evening costs £106.69 which includes the five course meal, drinks and entertainment.  To book the balcony room at West Compton Manor rates start from £120.  The room is picture perfect, the bed is huge and a bottle prosecco welcomed us. The host was very welcoming and chatted to be about the history of his home.  Breakfast was a laid back affair with local produce including granola, fruit smoothie and the Full English for those wanting it. I opted for scrambled egg on toast which was lovely.

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