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Dear John

How do I get work in murder mystery/roleplay?

First published 9th November 2006

Question:
An actress friend of mine has recently been working in murder mystery and roleplay and I'd like to get into that kind of work too. What is it the companies are looking for?

Answer:
Regular readers of Dear John will know that one of the main things that agents, producers and indeed working actors have identified as a major barrier to young performers getting work is the impression they often give that they will accept nothing else than a lead on EastEnders or at the National for their debut outing. The truth is that for most actors who do land those kind of roles, it is after a long apprenticeship in less high-profile parts. For many, an even harder truth to grasp is that when the plum parts do come your way, it doesn't mean you'll kiss goodbye to the bread and butter stuff. Being ready to turn one's hand to anything is a very useful skill but it would be a shame if we started to box acting into 'proper work' and 'work we do to fill in the gaps', when every area of the business can be successful if it is taken seriously, not just in terms of income but from an artistic development angle. The basic things roleplay and murder mystery companies are seeking from you as an actor are professionalism, reliability and a good attitude, just like any employer. For the specifics, let's hear from two people with successful reputations in their roles.

What the experts say:

Megan Long

Megan Long has played many acting roles on television and radio and has also worked as a roleplay actress for various businesses, including Barclays Bank, West Mercia Police and Britannic Assurance. She first worked in forum theatre in 2003 and now runs the Leaping Deer Company, together with husband Ted Mackney which provides forum theatre and roleplay services to a wide variety of corporate and training organisations around the country.

"Forum Theatre involves acting and roleplay in presenting an interactive way for groups to learn about, discuss and seek resolutions for a wide range of issues. It was not taught in this country when I was doing my acting training but I believe there are several courses available now and it is certainly something that I would encourage actors to explore, even if working in roleplay is not their ultimate goal.

"The key difference between Forum and more traditional roleplay is that in our work all the roles are taken by professional actors, leaving the trainees free to get to grips with the issue itself, rather than coping with stage fright.

"For the work our company does, we use actors trained in forum - it's a specific discipline but even for more traditional roleplay work, the important requirement is for actors who can improvise well. They need to be able to create characters and stay in those characters with just as much focus and integrity as they would in a theatre production. The degree of reality you can create for the participants is a very important factor in the success of the learning experience for them.

"Equally, while improvising according to what develops in the training situation, you need to keep to whatever brief you have been given, so roleplay work also develops the same sense of discipline you will need as an actor working with directors' instructions."

Richard Hazelgrove

Katchakilla is a professional murder mystery company formed by Richard Hazelgrove who has been running murder mystery events since 1992. Richard has extensive writing, acting and directing experience and has appeared in many television and film productions including EastEnders, Casualty and recently Foyle's War.

For someone who makes a living from dispatching people in various gory ways, Richard is actually a very pleasant chap to talk to and he is, like Megan, quite convinced that participating in roleplay work can be just as beneficial to an actor's skills development as it is to getting the rent paid.

In fact, as Richard points out, as much acting work is carried out "at one remove" from the audience - either on a stage or behind a camera - the roleplay actor has to convince the audience while interacting with them at very close quarters. As with much 'entertainment' work, the more seriously the actor takes the role that they have to play, even in a party session, the more fun the paying customers will have, which means that companies such as Richard's are on the lookout for actors who are serious, reliable and versatile as opposed to those just looking for a day job to tide them over until they get 'real work'.

Richard does recommend that, as with other kinds of acting work, the murder mystery market is a big one. For actors serious about using it to build their abilities it is worth finding companies which have been in the business for a while and have a good track record.

With former members of his murderous band now appearing in films such as The Da Vinci Code, Richard's own company certainly seems to fit the bill.

John sums up

In researching the roleplay and murder mystery market for this week's column, the first thing that struck me was how many different companies and websites even the most basic search comes up with. It was interesting talking to Megan and to Richard about their individual groups and areas of work and again you quickly realise that within each market there are different areas of specialisation whether in approach, geographical areas covered or styles of performance.

It strikes me therefore that, as with many other niche markets you may identify as potential work areas, blanket applications simply will not work. You will need to do your own research on each company to decide which of your skills you should highlight for their particular needs. As Megan says, if there is an area of expertise that you haven't yet conquered, it might be a very good investment to find a training course that can help you provide it when it comes to the audition.

* Feedback/queries are welcome to dearjohn@thestage.co.uk

* For more information on Leaping Deer visit www.leapingdeer.co.uk

* Richard Hazelgrove may be contacted via the website www.murdermystery.net

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