Murder Me Always

In the review in Deccan Chronicle on July 23, 2012 Ram Kumar Ramaswamy described the production of Murder Me Always by Lee Mueller as being performed with a Bollywood feel. This production was directed by Mala Pasha of The Torn Curtains.

"With intrigue and suspense thrown in, city folk were witness to some interesting supper theatre at the Secunderabad Club." writes Ram Kumar Ramaswamy  "The play was suitably Indianised with a generous infusion of Bollywood and in-your-face humour.

“I have Indianised the play to a large extent and what was staged was quite different from the original,” said director Mala. "The Bollywood duet interludes and funny sounds drawn from Hindi movies did add to the entertainment quotient."

Full review at http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/potpouri/murder-interactive-823#.UA61tBPC0co.twitter

Lee has written a number of scripts which have received rave reviews from audiences. His website Play-dead.com has been putting the "Play" back in Murder Mystery since 2000. If you would like to try performing one of his "Who-Done-its" in 2 acts, they are available for performance by High School, College, Dinner theatre or community theatre from Play-dead.com.



If you want to hire a murder mystery in London, please visit my website at http://www.invitation2events.co.uk or if you fancy trying a murder mystery game at home, go to http://www.itmgames.co.uk

Also, why not visit my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/invitation2events
And don't forget to share my blog by clicking on the links below.

London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony

London is the only city to host the Summer Games three times.

And today the eyes of the world are on it as the Opening ceremony is staged. Beijing's opening ceremony had 2008 pounding drummers and cost a reported $100m. People said it would be impossible to beat. So it’s a brave man who takes on the challenge to design the next opening ceremony. Step up Danny Boyle.

The Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle was given a budget of £27m to work with. Smaller than the Beijing 2008 ceremony and smaller even than the Athens 2004 ceremony, which cost around £35m.

"I would have thought the difficulty is how you cram in all that is great about our country," British Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday. "Whether it is sport, art, literature, history, contribution to world events, there are so many things to celebrate about our country that packing all that in to these hours must be a pretty tough task. But I am confident they have done a good job."

Boyle’s vision is to represent not just London, but Britain.inspired by William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" the ceremony's theme is "Isles of Wonder." It stretches from idyllic pastures through Industrial Revolution to popular culture. It will feature a cast and crew of 10,000 plus 70 sheep, 12 horses, 10 chickens and nine geese. Exact details of the show are still being kept secret. Those of us lucky enough to attend a rehearsal have been urged to #savethesecret. Considering this is the first social media Olympics, to be able to “save the secret” so well for so long is an achievement in itself!

And will it still be spectacular? Having seen part of it I can say “Yes”. Organisers did not show us the whole show, so I’m looking forward to the bits I don’t know about as well as re-seeing the ones I already loved.

So at 9pm make yourself a cup of tea, or pour the wine, and wave your flag in front of the big screen if you weren’t lucky enough to get tickets to the stadium.  It’s going to be a great show.

As always, please visit my websites at http://www.invitation2events.co.uk and http://www.itmgames.co.uk and remember to "like" me at http://www.facebook.com/invitation2events

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Invitation to contemplate: Did they misinterprete the rules?

Invitation to contemplate: Did they misinterprete the rules?: Sports Cheaters never prosper In 2007 New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was fined the NFL maximum of $500,000 and the Pat...

Did they misinterprete the rules?

Sports Cheaters never prosper

In 2007 New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was fined the NFL maximum of $500,000 and the Patriots were ordered to pay $250,000 for spying on an opponent's defensive signals. The idea that you can manipulate sports results goes against the idea of fair play.Nobody likes a cheater.

But people are still prepared to bend the truth, rather than bend the ball to succeed.

It’s not just taking performance enhancing substances. What about faking injuries to slow down the game? While there may be many small cheats in sport, there are a number of bigger ones that hit the headlines.

Some of us still think of the infamous Maradonna "hand of God" goal in the 1986 World Cup. Ignoring the protests of England's defenders that Maradona had handled the ball, Tunisian referee Ali Bennaceur let the goal stand. The slow-motion replay and a still picture taken by a Mexican photographer confirm England’s claim that Maradona's left hand had deflected the ball into the net. Maradona’s explanation? 'It was partly the hand of Maradona and partly the hand of God' he said. He went on to score a second goal in the game giving Argentina a 2-1 victory.

 

And it’s not just football that has its cheaters.  

 

Tour de France

Riders and spectators were involved in cheating during the 1904 Tour de France. There were protests, road blocks caused by trees, broken glass and nails on the road, spiked water bottles and itching powder in peoples riding shorts. Cheating was so rampant that the French Cycling Union disqualified the first four riders [Maurice Garin, Lucien Pothier, Cesar Garin, and Hyppolite Aucouturier] finishing the Tour giving the title to the fifth placed rider, Henri Cornet. Nine others were also disqualified and removed from the results. 

During the 1978 Tour de France Michel Pollentier was disqualified for submitting a urine sample for drugs testing that wasn’t his own. Using an elaborate plumbing system he was able to run urine  to the test tube from a rubber bulb under his arm. Pollentier served a two-month suspension before he started racing again.

Golf

David Robertson was disqualified for ‘not replacing his ball in the correct position on the green' while playing in the 1985 Open in Kent. He was accused of moving his ball marker 15 feet nearer the hole. Robertson was banned for 20 years from playing as a pro by the PGA European Tour.

Horse Racing

At Louisana's Delta Downs Racetrack in 1990 Sylvester Carmouche rode the 23-1 longshot, Landing Officer, to victory. He managed this by leaving the track when he couldn't be seen and waiting to pull in front of the pack as they came round again. His win by 24 lengths was so fast he was only 1.2 seconds off setting a course record. When questioned, the other jockeys could not remember Carmouche passing them. He was disqualified and received a 10-year ban from horse racing. He was reinstated after serving eight years of his suspension and admitting his actions.


Marathons


Talking of not being seen, Rosie Ruiz cheated in the Boston Marathon in 1980. After joining the starting lineup, Ruiz detoured to the subway, travelled to the stop closest to the finish, and then rejoined the race. The lie was discovered and she was stripped of her victory.


This is a similar case to that of Fred Lorz during the marathon at the St Louis Olympic Games of 1904. Only 14 of the 32 starters at the 1904 Olympics made it to the finish line, the first being Fred Lorz with a time of three hours 13 minutes. He was about to be awarded the gold medal when it was discovered he had been driven part of the course by car. It appears that he suffered cramps during the race and was picked up by car.  However, when the car broke down about five miles from the stadium, Lorz continued on foot.  He received a lifetime ban, which was later lifted. Thomas Hicks, who was awarded the race, was found to have taken strychnine and brandy to keep going, but was not disqualified. Strychnine is now banned for athletes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1904_Summer_Olympics

 

Talking of Olympics.....

100 metres

Ben Johnson trimed four-hundredths of a second off the world record to finish first in the 100 metres at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. But his victory turned into a scandal as it was found he’d taken a banned substance. Stripped of his medal, Johnson raced at the next Olympics after serving a two-year suspension. The drug use continued and he was banned for life in 1993 after he tested positive again.

Modern pentathlon

Boris Onischenko entered the Modern pentathlon in the 1976 Olympics using an épée that he had wired so he could trigger the eletronic scoring system with his hand and register a hit at will. He was later disqualified.

 

Gender issues

Dora Ratjen took part in the 1936 Female High Jump as part of Germany's Olympic team at Berlin, even though “she” was a man. She/he is not alone in the gender cheating as noted by Matt Stopera.

Olympic Gymnastics

Athletes need to be at least 16 to compete in the Olympics. China has been accused of entering underage gymnasts in various Olympics games. The international gymnastics officials cleared them of age violations during the Beijing Games but suggested they should return an Olympics bronze medal from the 2000 Olympics because one of the Chinese athletes was only 14 at the time.

Paralympics

The Paralympics have not been immune from Cheating, notably the Spanish entry in the intellectually disabled basketball tournament at the 2000 Summer Paralympics. The team had to return their gold medals after it was discovered that 10 of the 12 players didn't really suffer from any disability.

These are serious cases of cheating. On a lighter note, a case of suspected cheating is the subject of a mystery game from ITM Games. TheFinal Disgrace is a role playing mystery game for 8 players. It concerns the final match for the Eclipse Cup, Football's Mixed Six-a-side competition. The team of Lower Morrals Athletic have just lost the match. This is a shock result considering they have been enjoying their best season ever. With a string of record breaking scores under their belt, could someone have cheated and lost them the game on purpose? If you want to learn the answer to this, the game is available for ITM Games.

As always, please visit my websites at http://www.invitation2events.co.uk and http://www.itmgames.co.uk and remember to "like" me at http://www.facebook.com/invitation2events

And don't forget to add comments and share my blog by clicking on the links below.

Olympic flame arrives in Waltham Forest

On Saturday 21 July, the Olympic Flame Torch Relay started in Greenwich Park and headed across London to finish in Waltham Forest.

A celebration marking the Olympic flame's first full day in London was hosted by the London Borough of Waltham Forest at Chestnuts Field. 

Entertainment at Torch Relay
Photo by Juliamaud

Entertainment was provided by Olympic sponsors :-

• Coca-Cola provided music by Rizzle Kicks
• Lloyds TSB staged stunning acrobatic performances and
• Samsung gave a dance performance by Twist and Pulse.

Entertainment at Torch Relay
Photo by Juliamaud

Waltham Forest'scontribution to the entertainment was

• UnityUK
• Mizz Camara and
• Rhythm Kour Collective

Entertainment at Torch Relay
Photo by Juliamaud

Cheers went up around the field for the day's last Torchbearer, Fabrice Muamba. Fabrice lit the cauldron on stage as the  143rd Torchbearer to carry the Flame. 

 Fabrice Muamba with the Olympic Torch
Photo by Juliamaud

On Sunday 22 July the Olympic Flame travelled from Redbridge to Bexley. The countdown in London has begun.......

 

As always, please visit my websites at http://www.invitation2events.co.uk and http://www.itmgames.co.uk and remember to "like" me at http://www.facebook.com/invitation2events

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Teddy Bears come out to play

If you go down to the woods today........be careful what you wish for.

You may love your teddybear to bits but do you really want him to come to life? John Bennett wished his teddy bear would come to life and his childhood wish came true. Great for a child but not so good when you are an adult.
John's teddy bear, appropriately named Ted, has been by his side since boyhood and its testing his other friendships, noatably that with Lori, John's girlfriend of four years.
Want to see the outcome? Then go see "Ted" starring Mark Wahlberg as John Bennett. Ted is voiced by Seth MacFarlane of family guy fame. Seth MacFarlane also wrote the story and co-wrote the screenplay, so, as you can guess, this is NOT a children's movie. There is nudity, profanity, alchol and drug use in this film.

Lacking in nudity and profanity, but including reference to drug use, is another Teddy related product. Teddy Bear’s Picnic is a murder mystery game by ITM Games. Priced at £18 this is a dinner party murder mystery game for 6 Players.

Teddy Bears Picnic

Enter the 1980′s world of big business and fluffy toys. You are invited to the launch of the new range of products called “Teddy Bears Picnic”. But things in the toy company are not as innocent as they seem.


A year ago Theo Edwards, co-founder of the Edwards toys company died of a drugs overdose.

The company was taken over by Chester Toyes, another co-founder.

Penny Whistle was the other co-founder of Edwards toys, who remains at the company as a toy designer.

Ryan Storey is a journalist sent to cover the launch of the new product range. But what ealse will he discover about the company founders and the others on the estate such as

• Babette Toyes - Chesters wife.
• Kash D Spencer - the Edwards Toys accountant Carrie Honor Fair - Chester's personal assistant
• Ernest Statements - head of marketing and public relations

To find out you need to play Teddy Bear’s Picnic

As always, please visit my websites at http://www.invitation2events.co.uk and http://www.itmgames.co.uk and remember to "like" me at http://www.facebook.com/invitation2events

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Murder Mystery Party at home

Murder Mystery Party at home

The Mystery of Who Fried Egg ?

Benedict Egg didn't like to be beaten. 

Benedict Egg

And he didn't like his business rival,Runcy Spoon. 

Spoon was a steely character who didn't liked people trying to outshine him.

Runcy Spoon

Both men were rivals in the field of electronic innovation.

Both had spent time and money trying to outdo the other.

Both were concerned about the problem of sustainable energy.

And now both were locked in a vicious battle to develop a sustainable energy supply.

The Egg & Spoon Race was on.......

It appeared to everyone that Benedict Egg may have won, when he announced a press conference.

The audience of journalists, VIPs and guests of the Egg Corporation arrived and took their seats.
 

But, as Benedict demonstrated his companies exciting discovery something went wrong.

 Benedict was electrocuted by his own device! 

Was this a terrible accident?

..........Or maybe this was no accident but MURDER!

 So, with a room full of suspects, who did fry Egg?

It was up to the audience, with the help of Chief Inspector Fawken Knife, to determine the guilty party.

But just who did it?

This murder mystery is written by Catherine Skeggs and produced by Invitation To Events http://www.invitation2events.co.uk

If you would like to experience

The Egg and Spoon Race yourselves,

log onto http://itmgames.dyndns-server.com/ite/invitation2_events.html

and hire a private party for you and your friends, family and colleagues.

Actors play the suspects and interact with the audience throughout the event.

Guests are given the roles of journalists, VIPs and guests of the Egg Corporation. Participation is optional - You can interact with the actors as much or as little as you feel comfotable with.

 Please leave comments and share this blog with your friends by clicking the links below

Murder Mystery Dinner - The Egg and Spoon Race  

Cast:-

Anne Rason as Sue Flay

Sandra Ziles as Faye B J Egg

Amy Aldridge as Molly Coddled

Peter Grant as Benedict Egg and Chief Inspector Fawken Knife

Catherine Schroder as Eau Bergine

Anthony Bird as Runcy Spoon

Ben Thornton as Al Bumen

Photography by Hussein Ahmet of husphotography

As always, please visit my websites at http://www.invitation2events.co.uk and http://www.itmgames.co.uk and remember to "like" me at http://www.facebook.com/invitation2events

And don't forget to add comments and share my blog by clicking on the links below.

Free afternoon of games in Holland Park on Sunday 15 July 2012

Another afternoon of free games is being organised by Hide and Seek in Holland Park. This Sandpit, on the theme of movement and spectacle, takes place on Sunday 15 July. 

Holland Park is in west London, between between Kensington High Street and Notting Hill. The fun starts at 2pm near the Orangery and continues until 5.30pm. If it starts raining quieter games will continue inside. There's a cafe nearby, space for picnic blankets, wandering peacocks, and all the wonders of summer games.

 

 

Games include :-

• Labyrinth
• A game of hiding and guarding. Navigate the labyrinth without waking the Minotaur – or protect the Minotaur’s treasure from thieves.

• Heresy! (Marc Vousden)
• Revolution is in the air. Secretly gather a group of rebels from the crowd to mount a public challenge for power in the ceremony of heresy.

• Drift (Nikki Pugh)
• Three graceful characters move around Holland Park. One of them is broadcasting a message intimately linked with the landscape. Collect a sash and join the drift: sense, deduce and glide. Can you successfully approach the correct one and receive a gift? Sashes developed with the support of Fermynwoods Contemporary Art.

• Chocolate Chippies
• Play as a cute squirrel trying to get his share of the bounty of chocolate chip cookies in the brutal, dangerous world of a London park. Find or beg for cookies, isolate precious chips from the dough, gather and protect your bounty. But beware of humans: they too like chocolate.

• Liars’ Parkland Stroll (Chris Roberts and Silvana Maimone)
• London Liars’ Walks present a parkland of porkies. See if you can spot the true tales from the false in this gentle 45 minute stroll.

• Orrery (The Haberdashery)
• Dance your precious cargo through the stately spin of bodies, or reverse an opponents revolution to thwart their schemes.

• Punch The Custard (George Buckenham)
• Exactly what it sounds like – a game about being the best at punching a bucket of custard.

• Hippokampos in the Grey Matter (Pollie Barden and MzTEK)
• Explore Holland Park through collecting hidden micro memories to create a new memory of your adventures to share. Bring camera/phone.

As always, please visit my websites

• http://www.invitation2events.co.uk and
• http://www.itmgames.co.uk

remember to "like" me at http://www.facebook.com/invitation2events

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Invitation to contemplate: You Don’t Have To Be Rich To Have An Extravagant D...

Invitation to contemplate: You Don’t Have To Be Rich To Have An Extravagant D...: Get the most you can for your money. Beth Haworth has written “ Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide ” – a guide to the best tips, tri...

You Don’t Have To Be Rich To Have An Extravagant Disney World Vacation.

Get the most you can for your money.

Beth Haworth has written “Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide” – a guide to the best tips, tricks and savings available for a Disney holiday.

You Can Have A Disney World Vacation For A Fraction Of What Others Pay

The “Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide” e-Book contains everything Beth Haworth has learned and discovered in making a Disney Vacation an affordable and magical experience.
First you need to plan your vacation and develop a budget. By working out your finances and paying in advance you can save money. Don’t buy your holiday on credit and spend months, or years, paying back with huge interest. In your plan include a “Disney day trip” budget for food, drinks, souvenirs, and miscellaneous.

Food portions are big so try splitting meals so you can continue the rides feeling comfortable rather than stuffing yourself or letting food go to waste.

Of course, the main problem of budgeting for a Disney World vacation is all the temptations you didn’t predict and plan for. Things like the “impulse” purchases. Avoid overspending by only taking that day’s ”Disney day trip” money with you in cash. Do not use your credit card! If one of your family spend all their money in the first hour – tough. No credit card – no bailout! If you really want it, but it tomorrow from the next day's allowance.

Check out savings ideas from the “Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide” e-Book

As always, please visit my websites

• http://www.invitation2events.co.uk and
• http://www.itmgames.co.uk

remember to "like" me at

• http://www.facebook.com/invitation2events

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Invitation to contemplate: Want to host a 1920s themed murder mystery party?

Invitation to contemplate: Want to host a 1920s themed murder mystery party?: Do you want to recreate the era of the flappers, gangsters and prohibition? USA in the 1920s. . . . a time of gangsters and speakeasi...

Want to host a 1920s themed murder mystery party?

Do you want to recreate the era of the flappers, gangsters and prohibition?

USA in the 1920s. . . . a time of gangsters and speakeasies and a great time to set a murder mystery party.

Murder at the Four Deuces parts 1 and 2

It's the opening night of Don Wannabe's glamorous new nightspot (and speakeasy) "The Four Deuces". This event has attracted all sorts - gangsters, singers, gamblers, a congressman - and, of course, "family." A night to remember in more ways than on as this night there's murder in the air....

Five years after opening night, a New Year's Eve party is arranged. Many of the same characters are invited and again it’s time for murder.

http://www.great-murder-mystery-games.com/murder-at-the-four-deuces.html

 

• Murder at the Four Deuces is for 12 to 20 people, and costs $49.00 from Dinner and a Murder Mystery Games.

• Murder at the Four Deuces 2 is another game for 12 to 20 teens and adults and costs $49.00 from Dinner and a Murder Mystery Games.

 

St Valentine's Day Masquerade

 

http://itmgames.dyndns-server.com/val_synop.htm

It is Chicago, it is 1923, and it is the time of prohibition.

Danny 'Diamond' Ditali, the infamous rum runner and gang boss has a problem. Last night he ordered 8 hits by eight members of his gang.

But now he hears that one of his victims is now in the hands of the FEDs, and squealing like a pig. Yet all his gang reported success, so how can this be?

Who lied to him? Who is still alive?

A murder mystery with a difference, Who Didn't Do It?

 

St Valentine's Day Masquerade is for 8 Players and costs £ 20 from ITM Games.

As always, please visit my websites

• http://www.invitation2events.co.uk and
• http://www.itmgames.co.uk

remember to "like" me at

• http://www.facebook.com/invitation2events

And don't forget to add comments and share my blog by clicking on the links below.

Invitation to contemplate: Curiouser and curiouser

Invitation to contemplate: Curiouser and curiouser: A short quiz. 1.     Do you know who said “Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin; but a grin without a cat! It's the most curi...

Curiouser and curiouser

A short quiz.

1.    Do you know who said “Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin; but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in my life!”?

2.    And who cried “Oh my fur and whiskers!”?

3.    Do you know who said “Well, I never heard it before, but it sounds uncommon nonsense.”?

4.     And who exclaimed “If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does.”?

 

Are you as confused as Alice inWonderland?

 

What you need is '101 Famous Quotes From Alice In Wonderland'. This e-book includes four wonderful titles for you to enjoy immediately after download. And the book can be printed in a handy A4 size.

Each of the 101 Alice Quotes are linked to the stories, allowing the quote to be found quickly and easily in its original context. Just click on a quote and see the page where that quote is in the original story. Read what happened before and after, and which characters were involved. Click the text on the page to return to the quotes.

This '101 Famous Quotes from Alice in Wonderland' e-book is the most comprehensive Alice In Wonderland package ever. It includes

• 101 Famous Alice in Wonderland Quotes
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
• Through the Looking Glass
  And what’s more…
• It will reveal the long lost missing chapter - The Wasp In a Wig

Buy your copy here

The Answers

1.     Alice,

2.     The White Rabbit,

3.     The Mock Turtle,

4.     Duchess,

As always, please visit my websites at http://www.invitation2events.co.uk and http://www.itmgames.co.uk and remember to "like" me at http://www.facebook.com/invitation2events

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Invitation to contemplate: Teenagers spending time with fathers

Invitation to contemplate: Teenagers spending time with fathers: A study by Brigham Young University shows that teenagers form closer bonds with the family when their fathers spend more time with them. Th...

Teenagers spending time with fathers

A study by Brigham Young University shows that teenagers form closer bonds with the family when their fathers spend more time with them. This includes doing things together such as playing catch, watching a movie or eating with them.

http://news.byu.edu/releases/archive12/Jun/fatherplaying/father.jpg

Having surveyed fathers and teens from 647 U.S. households, Professor Ramon Zabriskie concluded “When fathers invest time in low-cost, home-based, spontaneous activities close to or in the home, youth notice the difference. It doesn’t have to be something big. In fact, our research shows the little activities are the most important.”

http://marriottschool.byu.edu/msmadmin/person/securefile/empphoto/?file=b0%2F5264.jpg

The study examined two types of family leisure –

• Core activities that require little planning and little money, such as  playing board games and
• Balance activities that take more time, planning and money, such as family trips.

While balance activities had a positive effect, the core activities played a greater role in the teen’s perception of family life.

“We spend so much effort on the big-ticket items thinking that it’s the most important thing for our families, when really, more time with our kids on day-to-day activities will suffice,” Professor Neil Lundberg said.

http://marriottschool.byu.edu/msmadmin/person/securefile/empphoto/?file=b0%2F5498.jpg

“Too often when people think about family leisure, they think of the time they spend on vacations and neglect the leisure time spent at home,” said Lydia Buswell, the lead author on the study. “Family vacations and other balance activities can only help build a family if there is a foundation to build upon first.”

 

As always, please visit my websites at http://www.invitation2events.co.uk and http://www.itmgames.co.uk and remember to "like" me at http://www.facebook.com/invitation2events

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