A dead host, six familiar suspects and a three-course dinner collide at Blume Studios in Charlotte, where a new immersive experience called Clue: Murder on the Menu has guests doing more than watching a story unfold — they're helping solve it. The production, based at 904 Post St. in Charlotte's Iron District, turns diners into active participants in a Tudor mansion murder case, mixing cocktails, a chef-prepared meal and live performance into one evening.
According to Blumenthal Arts, the premise sends guests into the world of the classic board game as special invitees to a dinner hosted by Boddy Black, who has summoned the game's infamous suspects — Peacock, White, Scarlett, Green, Plum and Mustard — only for Black himself to turn up murdered near the start of the meal. From there, it falls to the audience to work alongside the six characters to figure out who did it, with what, and where. Each performance reportedly features a different combination of murderer, weapon and room, so no two nights play out exactly alike.
Guests first mingle with the suspects during a cocktail hour featuring passed hors d'oeuvres and drinks before moving into what organizers describe as a banquet hall — a room beyond the nine spaces familiar from the original board game. The seated dinner that follows is a three-course meal curated by Chef Craig Barbour of Roots Catering, the Charlotte Post reports, including beetroot and filet hors d'oeuvres, seared airline chicken breast with sweet corn risotto and Dijon velouté, and a dark chocolate blackberry tart finished with fresh berries and lavender along with other seasonal touches.
A World Premiere Rooted in Charlotte's Appetite for Interactive Shows
Charlotte is billed as the first city anywhere to host Clue: Murder on the Menu, a distinction Blumenthal Arts highlights in its announcement of the show. The experience was created by Right Angle Entertainment, the same company behind The Magicians Table, which the venue hosted this past spring following a successful run, per the same account from Blumenthal Arts.
The show's writer and director told the Charlotte Observer that Charlotte audiences have consistently embraced immersive, interactive storytelling — part of why the city landed the premiere. Blume Studios has become something of a proving ground for this kind of format, having previously hosted a 2024 virtual reality exhibition, the 2024 Faulty Towers dining shows and the 2025 MONOPOLY LIFESIZED: Travel Edition experience, the Observer notes. Axios adds that Blume Studios has served as Blumenthal Arts' answer to expanding beyond traditional theater into experiences spanning virtual reality, board-game adaptations, magic and comedy, as reported by Axios.
Audience Choices Shape Who Gets Caught
Part of the appeal, organizers say, is that audience members themselves help determine the murderer and influence how the mystery unfolds each night, a structure meant to keep the show fresh even for repeat attendees. Kevin Hammonds, speaking about the production, said immersive projects like this one focus on keeping audience agency as central as possible, and that people have wanted more participation in entertainment since COVID-era lockdowns. He also described adapting such a familiar property as a balancing act — meeting fans' expectations while keeping the characters feeling relevant today and true to the original game — and said the most challenging part was balancing those expectations, though he added that treating the challenges as opportunities made the production's success possible.
Tickets, Timing and Group Rates
Preview performances run Oct. 9 through Oct. 15, with tickets starting at $114.59, according to Blumenthal Arts. Scheduling for the run itself carries some discrepancy: Blumenthal Arts lists the show as playing Oct. 9 through Nov. 22, while the Charlotte Post reports the run continuing through Dec. 6. The experience runs about two to two and a half hours and is recommended for guests ages 8 and older, with minors required to be accompanied by an adult. Groups of 10 or more qualify for 10% off the base price of general-admission tickets, an offer available only on general-admission seating. Tickets are available through Blumenthal Arts' website.
