Murder in the Manor

Murder in The Manor transforms the cruise ship theater into a campy, high-energy world of supernatural intrigue layered with an 80s heartbeat. This original murder mystery blends comedy, spectacle, and audience engagement as guests join journalist Jenny Wilson in unraveling the bizarre circumstances around her pop-star twin’s mysterious death. Set inside a decadent mansion filled with eccentric suspects and topped with a ghostly cameo, the production layers outrageous characters, big dance numbers, and supernatural effects into a narrative that’s equal parts murder mystery and musical send-up. By leaning into glam-rock style, tongue-in-cheek humor, and immersive storytelling, Murder in The Manor delivers a uniquely Virgin Voyages experience: high-energy, cheeky, and impossible not to enjoy.

Set in the same immersive venue as Lola’s Library, the goal was to create an 80s-inspired ghostly murder mystery with a Scooby Doo-esque flair. Virgin requested a concept that matched the 360° intimacy of the space, where the audience is close to the action and expects a fully engaging, immersive experience.

• Casting Structure: The show was highly narrative-driven but had only one true speaking role. To balance the story, we relied on a vocalist/actor hybrid and used a specialty act as a secondary lead, someone not primarily trained as an actor. This required careful writing, blocking, and coaching.
• Shared Cast: Performers are spread across multiple shows on the ship, meaning the production must adapt to rotating specialty acts while maintaining narrative clarity.
• Technical Innovation: We developed a hologram effect that had never done before and has never been attempted in the venue, requiring extensive pre-testing and iteration to land on a workable approach.
• Limited Rehearsal Time: Murder in the Manor was installed in just six tech days on the ship, whereas we normally have two to three times that amount of time. This demanded extreme precision and efficiency from our creative team.

Through extensive trial-and-error and advance testing, we successfully adapted the concept to the intimate, immersive venue while meeting tight timelines. The result is a fresh take on the murder mystery format that blends narrative, specialty acts, and technical innovation into a guest experience unlike any other at sea. By delivering a 40-minute immersive show with minimal rehearsal time, we proved our ability to create scalable, flexible productions that maximize Virgin’s unique venues.