TORONTO MURDER MYSTERY FAQs

A THEY improv murder mystery event customized for your group has proven to be perfect for teambuilding corporate events, meetings and incentives awards, weddings, family gatherings, dinners or charity fundraisers throughout Ontario! What is a Toronto murder mystery dinner and what does it entail?

Toronto Murder Mystery Dinner Shows for Corporate Events, Banquets and Private Parties

To answer this, and more specific questions, we have assembled a list of frequently asked questions here, along with appropriate answers.

murder mystery

Straight Murder

Our version of the industry standard, we bring our actors to entertain your group!

ambush

The Ambush

Our specialty item, we create a nightmare scenario that the audience think is real until the murder occurs.

cambridge solution

The Cambridge Solution

Using a few people as characters going table to table, the rest work as teams to solve the crime.

princeton permutation

The Princeton Permutation

An offshoot of our Cambridge Solution, the characters make speeches to reveal their backgrounds.

dartmouth plan

The Dartmouth Plan

Our version of Speed Dating as the characters speak one on one with the sleuths or even having everyone as suspects.

clue party

Murder Mystery Mayhem

Our version of a Clue Party, everyone is a character and it comes down to Means, Motive, and Opportunity as everyone talks to everyone else.

Some FAQs

Most of our shows are private parties and corporate events. We do not have a regular venue where you can participate in public shows. The rare opportunities we do have for public shows are highly sought after and often sell out. If you would like to hear about these rare opportunities when the occur, simply sign up for our mailing list and mention a desire for our mystery shows. If you are a restaurant or hotel owner that would like to discuss having a quality show in your venue, contact us. We are capable of generating a lot of interest in your venue and are reasonably priced.

Generally no. We don't like taking that responsibility. Mostly you should choose a place that you like the food and the service. No matter how good we are, you will never be happy if those two fail. Make sure you have enough light to see, some space to move around a bit, and it should be quiet enough to hear. The rest depends on the size of your group, for example, you might need sound equipment for larger groups.

For our full shows or galas, every script is unique and written for the show and group involved. There may be certain elements that have been repeated over the years, but we tailor directly to you. Additionally, all of our performers have years of improvisational training and public performances under their belt. This means that their improv skills are fully taken advantage of and can react to the situations around them. Literally, we could not perform the same show twice even if we tried. For smaller events such as the Cambridge Solutions or Clue Parties, these may be very similar to past shows, but even these are customized some to the group involved.

THEY improv stands out in the murder mystery business in a lot of ways. The most obvious is that the cast of THEY improv is comprised of some of the top improvisational comedy talent. This means that the show not only has a great interactive experience for the audience, but that the entire cast adjusts to the changing needs and comedic energy of the group involved. Secondly, THEY improv never forgets that the emphasis is on entertainment, not on mystery. The show is designed to entertain the audience more than perplex them. To that effect, we push the murder back in the plot allowing for a larger amount of audience interaction and fun prior to the murder and a shorter interrogation time. In some shows the detective is the star. In ours, the comedy is. Thirdly, some murder mystery companies try to beat the audience and not even give out the prizes. THEY improv guarantees that someone will have been correct in their solution of the murder mystery for our full shows. There are a lot of ways we're different. The best way for you to find out how is to contact us for a show and see for yourself.

Younger or more sensitive audience members should have no problem enjoying a night of fun and clean comedy when THEY improv takes the stage. We are predisposed to performing clean comedy shows. If, however, we are requested to become more lively in our performance, we may do so. After all, our murder mysteries are custom-tailored for the audience involved.

Smaller groups can get cost-prohibitive for murder mysteries, but THEY improv may still be able to help. Although our more standard murder mysteries have custom-tailored scripts and 4-8 actors, we do have other options to bring the cost down. This can be even more important for non-profit organizations looking to have a fundraiser. There are two additional approaches we can take. First, is our Cambridge Solution. This is called the Cambridge Solution because we considered it to be Harvard smart when we developed it. It uses 6-10 of your group as characters in the murder. More information is on our Cambridge Murder Mystery Page. Our second option is what we refer to as Murder Mystery Mayhem or a Clue Party. THEY improv has made an arrangement with a murder mystery company to provide self-run mysteries for those on a budget. For a cost of just a little over $40 per person and possibly a nominal fee for an actor, you can have a murder mystery provided with your guests playing the characters involved and a member of THEY improv helping you run the event. More information is available on our Murder Mystery Game Show page.

WHICH THEME IS FOR YOU?

We have a variety of themes that are common to each of our approaches.

roaring 20s title=

Roaring 20's

Several options in the Roaring 20's or during Prohibition!

millionaire mansion

Millionaire's Mansion

Variants on the standard of the death of a millionaire!

mob

Made Comedy

Our mysteries with mobsters and mayhem!

spies

Spies

A mystery with international intrigue!

1980s

Time Dashes

We can take you to different decades and let you enjoy the music and flavor of the times.

More FAQs

Generally, when someone refers to a show being interactive, it means that the performers will talk to the audience, either to get input or a reaction. Because interactive is a term used and understood in the industry, we tend to use the term incorrectly. Our shows are more accurately referred to as immersive. An immersive performance is where our actors fully participate in the audience experience and can be mistaken as audience members. Some audience members can also be confused with performers. This immersive experience enhances the entire event and increases the involvement of the audience members to the point of maintaining full attention.

While we prefer the immersive experience, we can perform "Presentational Murder Mysteries." This is performed on a stage or raised area with sound system like a play and with limited audience interaction. This is usually done for much larger groups and is more heavily scripted. This tends to have a higher cost because of the writing involved.  

We have a variety of offerings. Some of our offerings are designed as a mix and mingle party that allows your participants to interview each other to try to determine the culprit. Another offering allows some of your people to play the roles being interrogated by our detective and the audience to determine the culprit. But for our signature immersive murder mystery dinners, you want to limit the exposure of your people as performers. Quite frankly, they're simply not professional, and our people are. But we will customize any event to you and follow your lead as to who you want to participate. So the short answer? Yes, but it isn't our recommendation.

We are one of the few companies in the country that specializes in the ambush murder mystery. This is a scenario where the audience is unaware that a murder mystery is occurring. We create a situation where our players would reasonably be expected to be in the location. After establishing the legitimacy of our characters, we then create situations that would rarely happen at parties. The 'trainwreck moments' are designed to get the audience talking about what's going on around them and attempt to intercede on behalf of our characters. Think of it as an elaborate prank being played on your audience. When the death finally occurs, the audience then realizes that they've been had and are led through the process of determining the culprit. One of the major advantages of this form of show is that the audiences expectations are constantly changed.

THEY improv is one of the fastest growing murder mystery companies in the country. Right now we provide murder mystery shows in Ontario in Toronto, Niagara Falls, Windsor and London, Alberta in Calgary and Edmonton, British Columbia in Vancouver, North Van, West Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby and Victoria and Quebec in Quebec City and Montreal as well as in many other locations. Likewise, our professionals can travel for an additional fee to other more isolated parts of the country for a fee. You should simply ask and we might already be there. Additionally, we can serve other areas with a slight charge for travel that may have us still your least expensive option. And if we are not the least expensive? Isn't having the best worth it?

THEY improv is capable of performing anywhere. After all, we are improvisational. We are used to making do and reacting to what is at hand. Generally we perform in banquet spaces, dining rooms, hotels, restaurants, conference centers and theaters. The question usually comes down to an ability to be seen and heard by the audience. The real answer is that you should contact us if you have a venue that you have a question about and we are certain that we can find a way to make it work.

Because every corporate event and private party is custom designed you have to contact THEY improv directly to receive a quote for your banquet. Prices range based on the costs for a show. The more actors, the more props, the larger the event, the more the writing, the higher the cost. There are an extreme number of options to take into account. Shows in more isolated areas or in busy times such as the holidays may be for slightly more. Likewise, predictive weather and limitations on transportation can cause problems. Some areas have more of our actors and others may require bringing people in from other provinces. Simply contact us to find out more. These are just rough ranges and can vary greatly based on clients needs. The prices are also independent of venue, food and technical equipment such as lights and sound. Contact us for a detailed quote.

Even though we call them dinners, the reality is that a lot of our events take place during the day. Lunch is quite common and it operates basically the same, though often there is no cocktail hour. It can be a great idea to entertain your employees without keeping them after hours. Likewise, an ambush at lunch works well with our people to look like a regular team building group or lecturer. Contact us to find ideas that might work for your group based on your timing. 


GUNSHOTS?

We don't usually use gunshots as we find it to be a bad idea. We work based on our direction from our clients, so if you demand it then we will. Based on the desires of the client, we may have gunshots (blanks, of course), stabbings, etc. All such things are usually done to comedic effect and may require authorization of the venue and appropriate security staffs. Likewise, the Client must indemnify us and indicate to potential guests with any conditions the inherent issues or concerns. If you are the one hiring us for a private party or corporate event, then whether there are gunshots is up to you. But as mentioned, we'd recommend not to have them.

toronto marina

TORONTO IS PERFECT FOR MURDER MYSTERIES!
The largest city and likely the commercial hub of Canada, there is practically every kind of business represented here. The Board of Trade, the local chamber of commerce, has over 12,000 members, a sign of not only a thriving community, but one that works together towards a common purpose.

THEY improv is all about working towards a common goal and getting employees on the same page. This is true of Bay Street in the Financial District as well as at the Harbour on the waterfront. Whether industrial, financial or governmental, THEY improv has a variety of programs designed to fit most every need.

The Mounties!

The Canadian Mounties are far more than just a police force or tourist attraction. The RCMP protect and serve the community, stand as a symbol for law and order on the prairie, and fight back the forces looking to do harm. They may wear the Red Serge, but they take enforcement seriously.

cmp mounties

THEY improv is proud to serve the city downtown, Bay Street, the Financial District, the Waterfront, the Harbour and the entire greater area including King, Vaughan, Newmarket, Aurora, Richmond Hill, East Gwillimbury, York Mills-Windfields, Forest Park North and South, Bridle Path, Whitchurch Stouffville, Markham, Georina in York, Caledon, Brampton and Mississauga in Peel, Halton Hills, Milton, Burlington and Oakville in Halton, and Brock, Uxbridge, Pickerin, Ajax, Whitby, Scugog, Oshawa and Clarington in Durham, Niagara Falls and all the other surrounding communities as well as the Golden Horseshoe.

CONTACT US

EMAIL US AT INFO@THEYIMPROVCANADA.COM OR CALL 647.725.2150.

WE COVER THE ENTIRE GTA

toronto

TORONTO

The commercial juggernaut is a popular place for business and for people looking to arrange a place to gather to meet with their counterparts.

mississauga

MISSISSAUGA

Near Toronto, this metropolis has grown into a major center of power with large companies calling it home.

niagara falls

NIAGARA FALLS

With several large cities in the area, such as Niagara on the Lake, it is a major source of tourism and provides a great backdrop for companies to meet.

brampton

BRAMPTON

The city has grown far beyond being the Flower Town of Canada by moving into communication technology and manufacturing. The population continues to grow as it is a popular place to live.

hamilton

HAMILTON

This port city continues to thrive and grow as commerce continues to grow in the area. Convenient to Toronto, Niagara Falls and the US, it is strategically located for corporate offsites.