[Review] Backstage Betrayal, A Crack the Case Mystery – Perfect Immersive Theatrical Entertainment for Mystery Enthusiasts

alvinology

May 1

If you love solving mysteries and watching theatrical performances, Backstage Betrayal, A Crack the Case Mystery by Sight Lines Productions is just the show for you to watch.

My son, Asher, and I are both mystery lovers, and we caught a similar work by Sight Lines last year, Crack The Case: Mind Hunter. We enjoyed the experience very much and look forward to catching Backstage Betrayal. We finally get to catch it earlier last week when I came back from a work trip in China.

The show emerges as a captivating immersive theatre production at the KC Arts Centre. Set against the backdrop of a theatre company plagued by misfortune during their rendition of Macbeth, the audience is thrust into the role of detectives tasked with unraveling a murder mystery.

The setup was well done, so much so that Asher and I almost felt we were watching a real theatre production of Macbeth rather than Backstage Betrayal when we stepped into KC Arts Centre. The staff at the ticketing counter and the ushers all played their roles to fuzzy the line between theatre and real life.

The experience felt like a story within a story, whereby you are watching a Macbeth production one moment and thrown into a murder mystery in the next

Led by the charismatic theatre detective, cutely named Maggie Mee Boy (because of his curly hair), portrayed by Jit Dastidar, participants embark on a journey to interrogate suspects and uncover vital clues scattered throughout the venue. The ensemble cast, including Shrey Bhargava, Biwa Mastura, Darren Guo, Rebecca Ashley Dass, and Irsyad Dawood, delivers commendable performances, staying in character while engaging with the audience's inquiries.

We particularly like Darren Guo's performance as an obnoxious Ah Beng-ish character which gives a comedic contrast against the rest of the more stereotypical, artsy fartsy types characters played by the rest of the cast.

Darren Guo engaging the audience

The interactive nature of the experience fosters collaboration among attendees, with groups exchanging theories and observations as we piece together the puzzle. Asher and I are both introverted by nature, but I am happy to see him opening up and discussion the case with strangers in attempting to solve the mystery. As a theatre enthusiast himself who is in both the Chinese and English drama clubs in his school, it was also a good opportunity for him to interact with practitioners and learn from a real production.

Cast interacting with the audience at various scenes in different locations

Similar to Mind Hunters, audience members are encouraged to explore the venue within a boundary, adding an element of exploration to the investigative process. I appreciate that most of the venues are indoor this type in an air-conditioned environment, given the unforgiving heat in recent months.

Looking at evidence at the crime scene

The production attempts a more light-hearted and comedic approach this time round compared to the more serious Mind Hunter which dealt with heavier material around a serial killer, psychological play and mind control. We appreciate the team at Sight Lines trying something new to constantly reinvent and challenge themselves to deliver a different experience for their audience.

Maggie Mee Boy interacting with the audience

Dastidar is a great cast as the lead role to string everything together, including getting the audience and the cast to interact seamlessly throughout the performances. There were many moments when he had to think quick to improvise his acting based on something which the audience threw at him unexpectedly, but he managed to weave the narrative well from what we witnessed.

The show runs slightly under two hours, allowing ample opportunity for attendees to delve into the evidence, ask questions, and formulate theories. While the enjoyment of the show hinges on one's willingness to engage with fellow attendees and interact with the cast, we appreciate that there is still a relatively structured format to ensure that all participants receive a comprehensive experience, even for those who are more shy.

Overall, we enjoyed ourselves immersively once again and would highly recommend Backstage Betrayal for mystery lovers as well as those looking for a unique bonding opportunity, whether to attend with friends, on a date or as part of a company outing.