Deathtrap – A Murder Mystery

I am a huge fan of the Mayfield Dinner Theatre.  I have gone several times over the years and always had a great evening out.  This season has been phenomenal and stepped up a few notches from when I used to go on a more regular basis.

There is new management in town.  The Mayfield has been a staple of Edmonton entertainment since 1975.  A few months ago they were purchased by the Hilton family and are now managed by Silver Birch.  Thankfully the new owners managed to see the brilliance of the dinner theatre and have left it with it’s infamous name.  The restaurant inside the hotel has been dubbed “Stages” to keep in a partnership with the Dinner Theatre.  So we are left with some old, some new.

What’s old?  The live theatrical entertainment is still there to thrill and entertain you with broadway quality shows and famous actors.  What’s new?  The level of service that you receive and the quality of the food has been stepped up several notches.   It is no longer “just” a buffet.

The buffet is presented beautifully.  There is a separate area for desserts and seafood.  The salad area and the warm side dishes are also separated.  There is always an action station with your prime rib and yorkshire pudding, and you can usually get your beef just the way you like it.

For a buffet, there are always different choices.  The last two times I have gone there have been completely different selections available, but I have always been able to find something that I really enjoy.

Each play also has themed cocktails.  You really should give the “Party Trap” a try. (Cherry Whiskey, Kahlua, Cola and Creme)

For more on the food, please see my previous post on The History of Rock n’ Roll: Stars and Stripes.

This time around, we were able to sit next to some season ticket holders who just happened to be friends of a friend.  It’s a small world.  They were able to tell us about the benefits of being season ticket holders and were just generally pleasant company.  The table behind us however, had children that quite obviously were not interested in sitting still to watch the play.  Folks, if the content on stage is questionable, please leave your kids at home!

Deathtrap is a play I have been looking forward to seeing for a long time.  I am a huge horror fanatic and this one was just right up my alley with a little thrill  and a little chill.  The set was amazing.  It was supposed to be a barn converted into a writer’s studio where the walls are decorated with props from past plays.  So much fine detail everywhere.

The description of the play from the website:

One of the longest running Broadway thrillers in history, this clever play offers a rare and skillful blend of suspense and humor, making audiences scream with both laughter and terror! Sidney Bruhl, a once-successful writer of Broadway thrillers, is struggling to overcome a pattern of failures and a shortage of funds. A change of fortune occurs when he receives a script on his desk from a student – a thriller which Sidney immediately sees as a future Broadway hit. Sidney and his wife devise a scheme to publish it under his own name, and he’s willing to do just about anything to pull it off . A murder mystery so wickedly good, it’s delicious evening of thrills, laughs, and gasps!

I am trying my hardest to come up with a description of this play so that I won’t spoil your experience.  If you only catch one play this season, it should be this one!

It is a play that will captivate you from the opening with its characters and plot twists and turns.  The character’s lives are all intertwined, and they are all in it for personal gain.  Who do you really know?  Who can you trust?  There are moments of comedy mixed with those aforementioned thrills and chills to break up the tension. It is an evening of entertainment that you will not soon forget.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

So according to my company at the next table, the Mayfield has some great deals on tickets.  They have the season passes, 3 packs and various special nights (girls night out) etc.  Please check the website, or better yet – follow them on Twitter @mayfieldtheatre.

Next up in the season is the popular Broadway production of “Hairspray”.