What do you get when you mix birthday cake with betrayal, suspicious glances, and a room full of Cape Town’s funniest people? A night to die for — quite literally.
When comedian and radio personality Angel Campey celebrated her birthday, she ditched the usual dinner-and-cake affair and opted for something far more twisted: an improvised murder mystery evening with some of SA’s sharpest comedic minds, including Siv Ngesi, Kagiso Mokgadi, and Bailey Georgiades.
The setup? A lavish dinner party turned deadly, where each guest assumed the role of a powerful world leader gathered at a secretive global summit — until, of course, someone wound up dead. (Fictionally. We promise.)
The Brains Behind the Bloodshed
This wasn’t just any off-the-shelf game. The entire experience was meticulously designed by Lisa Aspeling, the creative force behind Murder Mystery Guide. By day, she’s a marketing expert. By night, she orchestrates thrilling, made-to-order mystery experiences where no two dinners are alike.
For Campey’s party, the evening’s drama revolved around the “Design The Future Group” — an elite, covert council plotting humanity’s fate. But when keynote speaker Jim Ball met an untimely end, it was up to the group to crack the case. Or cover their tracks.
The Plot Thickens (and So Does the Wine)
With a few glasses of wine and a healthy dose of mischief, the dinner quickly spiralled into delightful chaos. Characters bickered, secrets surfaced, and alliances shifted faster than you could say “poisoned pinot noir.” In true dramatic flair, comedian Mel Jones lifted her glass and let out a theatrical “Muuurrderrr!” — a moment that became the unofficial rallying cry of the night.
The game was equal parts theatre, satire, and absolute nonsense — and that was the magic. Even those without a flair for performance found themselves swept up in the fun.
Built for You — And Only You
What sets Aspeling’s murder mystery experiences apart is how personal they are. Every storyline is crafted around the specific group attending — incorporating their quirks, accents, in-jokes, and dynamics. It’s this level of tailoring that makes each event feel so immersive and hilarious.
Aspeling’s murder mysteries began as a quirky family tradition and have since grown into a one-of-a-kind offering for birthdays, team-building, and memorable get-togethers. Whether you’re an extrovert, introvert, or somewhere in-between, there’s a role for everyone — and no acting chops required.
A Side of Apocalypse, Anyone?
As if solving a murder wasn’t chaotic enough, the comedians added a doomsday twist — launching into a full-blown survival debate about how they’d navigate the end of the world. Naturally, the dinner table doubled as a bunker, and outlandish conspiracies flew faster than accusations.
In the final moments, suspicions peaked, and alibis were shredded. As Aspeling notes, the loudest denials are usually the shadiest. And apparently, a well-timed smize can get you out of almost anything.
The Verdict
“A night like this lets adults play again,” says Aspeling. “You get to be someone else, laugh at your friends, and create a story together. That kind of shared experience? It sticks with you. No one forgets the night they caught (or were framed as) the killer.”
Ready to write your own twisted tale? Find out more at www.murdermysteryguide.com