BIDDEFORD – Audiences at Maine Repertory Theater will soon be asked to solve a mystery: Who killed Jolly Roger?
Maine Repertory Theater, the new performance space located in the Pepperell Mill, will be hosting a murder mystery dinner theater performance on July 17 at 7 p.m. The dinner, catered by Yeto’s on Main Street, will feature performers creating an immersive experience for guests as they try to solve the mystery.
The performance is being mounted by Sleuths Mystery Entertainment, a newly formed production company founded by Bob LeBlanc of Newburyport, Massachusetts. Together the cast will be performing “Who Killed Jolly Roger,?” a comedic mystery that takes place during what LeBlanc calls the “golden age of piracy.”
“This will be a truly immersive experience for the audience,” said LeBlanc. “We curate an experience that takes place in and around them, where they can interact with us and be part of the show.”
Throughout the dinner, audiences will be surrounded by actors who are in character the entire night, each portraying the captain of a pirate ship. Each table will have a flag of a corresponding ship, making each attendee a crewmember aboard that ship. As dinner progresses, the “captains” of the ships will sit and converse with their “crew,” allowing guests to speak to the actors and get information from them to solve the mystery. “Crews” will also play competition games against each other to add to the fun of the night.
“We will interact with the audience throughout the evening, so that by the time the murder happens, they already know us and feel comfortable asking us questions,” LeBlanc said.
To add to the ambiance and experience of the show, there will be wanted signs around the space and newspapers, created by LeBlanc, on each table, each filled with clues and information to help audiences to get to the bottom of the mystery.
“By the end of the show,” LeBlanc said, “the audience solves the crime.”
“Who Killed Jolly Roger” was written by LeBlanc himself, and he will also be performing on July 17. LeBlanc wrote the mystery in 2013, and has performed it in notable venues like the Pier Patio Pub in Old Orchard Beach and aboard the Songo River Queen in Naples.
After writing and performing mysteries for the last 27 years under the umbrella of a different company, on May 7 of this year, LeBlanc decided it was time to branch out on his own and form Sleuths Mystery Entertainment.
“It was time,” LeBlanc said of branching out on his own. “I was ready to do what I love for myself.”
LeBlanc is a member of the American Chamber of Comedy, the house improvisational comedy group that performs every Saturday night at Maine Repertory Theater, so mounting a mystery at the new venue was a natural fit.
“We’re excited to perform this at a place where it will get the treatment it deserves,” LeBlanc said. “Maine Rep is the perfect place for this.”
LeBlanc had already been in talks with Maine Repertory Theater Owner and Founder Steve Burnette about mounting a murder mystery dinner theater at the venue when Yeto’s approached him about working together.
“It was the perfect coincidence,” LeBlanc said. “Everything just fell into place.”
Yeto’s is known on Main Street for its adventurous flavor combinations and affection for community involvement, and owners Jackie Hardin and Bryan Casale have curated a menu suited for any buccaneer that comes to solve the mystery.
Dinner will begin with “Blackbeard’s Focaccia” and homemade butter with garlic naan bread. The mediterranean buffet will include a peach and roasted beet salad with either a white balsamic vinaigrette or honey yogurt dressing, lime and coconut risotto, a chicken tagine, and pulled pork with a rum and lime barbecue sauce, a jackfruit tagine, and sauerkraut. For dessert, guests will be able to choose between a molasses nut bread and a blood orange grutzse.
LeBlanc has been excited about the event, and hopes to bring more like it to the stage at Maine Repertory Theater. LeBlanc’s mysteries span past pirate as well, with others themed as a speakeasy, vampire ball, a “Downton Abbey” parody, and even a vampire ball.
“This may be the first, but we’re hoping to do more here,” LeBlanc said. “It’s a great space for it.”
Tickets for the event are $35 for dinner and the show and have already been selling fast, but there are still seats available for those who wish to attend. To buy tickets or to learn more about the event, visit www.mainerepertorytheater.com or call the box office at (207)205-6201.

Contact Staff Writer Abigail Worthing at news@inthecourier.com.

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