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Murder at Café Noir

The most popular diner show in the country, Murder at Cafe Noir has enjoyed weekly productions coast to coast since its premiere in 1989.

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Description

  • Full Length Play
  • Comedy
  • 75 minutes

  • Time Period: Present Day, 1940s / WWII
  • Target Audience: Appropriate for all audiences
  • Set Requirements: Interior Set, Bare Stage/Simple Set
  • Cautions: Gun Shots

  • Performance Group:
  • Dinner Theatre, Community Theatre, High School/Secondary, Shoestring Budget, College Theatre / Student, Senior Theatre
The most popular mystery diner show in the country, Murder at Cafe Noir has enjoyed weekly productions coast to coast since its premiere in 1989.

This forties detective story come to life features Rick Archer, P.I., out to find a curvaceous runaway on the forgotten island of Mustique, a place stuck in a black and white era. The owner of the Cafe Noir has washed ashore, murdered, and Rick's quarry was the last person seen with him. He employs his hard boiled talents to find the killer. Was it the French madame and club manager, the voodoo priestess, the shyster British attorney, the black marketeer or the femme fatale? 

The audience votes twice on what they want Rick to do next and these decisions change the flow of this comic tribute to the Bogart era.
REVIEWS:

"Mystery theatre at its finest."

 Sun Times, Portland

"Aptly tongue in cheek [with] clever punch lines and occasional song interludes."

 Washington Times

"Fast and funny satire."

 The Los Angeles Times

"A feast for connoisseurs of mystery."

 Orange County Daily Pilot

"Riveting."

 Daily Pennsylvanian

"It's as close as you'll ever get to stepping into Bogey's shows at the Blue Parrot."

 Boston Herald

Characters

  • Casting: 4M, 3F
  • Casting Notes: THURSBY, VANGILDER and RIGFIELD are all played by the same actor.

  • RICK ARCHER - a private eye who's always wanted to be Bogart or Mitchum in one of those 40s film noir movies, and has not gotten his chance.

  • MADAM TOREAU - a lady who's seen it all while managing the Cafe Noir - where everything is for sale.

  • SHEILA WONDERLY - her real name is Shelida Schickelmeier. Once a spoiled rich girl, she took a job at Cafe Noir and learned about life the hardest way of all, becoming hardened in the process.

  • ANTHONY CAIRO - a dealer in the black market working Cafe Noir to avoid the St. Vincent police. He has two scars, one on either side of his face.

  • MARIE LARUE - the Creole illegitimate daughter of a Voodoo priestess and a St. Vincent police. He has two scars, one of either side of his face.

  • SIMON GUTTERMAN - a British barrister who lost his standing when he became implicated in a scandal of having affairs with wealthy female clients. He now caters to the clientele of Cafe Noir. Simon is always looking for a quick way to make it to the top.

  • THURSBY - a two bit gun runner.

  • VANGILDER - a Dutch blackmailer.

  • RIGFIELD - a British cop from St. Vincent.

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    The most popular mystery diner show in the country, Murder at Cafe Noir has enjoyed weekly productions coast to coast since its premiere in 1989.

    This forties detective story come to life features Rick Archer, P.I., out to find a curvaceous runaway on the forgotten island of Mustique, a place stuck in a black and white era. The owner of the Cafe Noir has washed ashore, murdered, and Rick's quarry was the last person seen with him. He employs his hard boiled talents to find the killer. Was it the French madame and club manager, the voodoo priestess, the shyster British attorney, the black marketeer or the femme fatale? 

    The audience votes twice on what they want Rick to do next and these decisions change the flow of this comic tribute to the Bogart era.

    		$24.95

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