Any follower of MCF will know the annual murder mystery extravaganza is not to be missed – and this year was no different! The event was as packed as ever with goodies for the guests, a thrilling murder mystery, and delicious food from the Hilton. This year’s theme was Beijing’s Got Talent, and Helen, the volunteers, and MCF’s sponsors, worked their socks off creating an event that Simon Cowell himself would be proud of.
It was all hands on deck at the beginning, with volunteers arriving as early as 3pm to make sure the event ran as smoothly as possible. Volunteers that would usually be found teaching or providing social media support were (literally!) on their hands and knees binding programmes, making table decorations, and blowing up balloons. It was all good fun, with volunteer Julie, saying “This is actually terrifying” when attempting to blow up a balloon and volunteer Maddy standing at a distance saying, “That looks hard, man.”
As the guests began filing into the room, there was an excited spirit in the air, with some unsure of what to expect. One guest, Kristin, said she was “excited but nervous – I’ve never been to a murder mystery and I don’t know what’s going to happen!” Any nerves, however, were soon put to bed, as guests enjoyed their drinks and took selfies next to the Beijing’s Got Talent background.
In true talent show spirit, each table had a theme: balloon animals, jugglers, impersonation, singers, clowns, magicians, actors, mimes, puppeteers, and rappers. These went down a treat, with guests enthusiastically playing with their props – see volunteer Rikke and Paula below looking very coordinated in their matching mime gear. Wandering from table to table, guests were eager to share their thoughts on the night, with Lydia saying, “I’m having impossible amounts of fun!” The work that went into creating the event did not go unnoticed, with Liz saying, “It all started with an idea, and Volunteer Coordinator Lorna took the idea and blew it into an amazing event. You couldn’t not have a good time!”
The murder mystery itself was a roaring success, and we expected nothing less from BWYA (Beijing World Youth Academy)’s seasoned performers. During rehearsals the producer, Bella, said, “It’s been really tiring! It’s been a long process and we’ve been through a lot trying to make the perfect show for tonight.” Their hard work paid off, as guests enjoyed a thoroughly well researched show, which included many a British slang term and even a brief mention of Britain’s Got Talent presenters Ant and Dec! The murder mystery also included an interactive scene, and guests relished the opportunity to mingle with the actors. As Amanda and Alesha ambled towards the mime table, volunteer Paula was quick to jump in with, “We have our suspicions…”
One guest, Emily said: “I really enjoyed the murder mystery. I’ve been missing the theatre so much so it’s great to see some acting!” Helen also thanked the BWYA students at the event, saying she was “amazed watching the rehearsal. There was such enthusiasm and I’m delighted that we can give them a platform to shine!”
Of course, it wouldn’t be an MCF event without a raffle, and we’d like to thank everyone that bought a ticket. We made a whopping 10,000 RMB from ticket sales, all of which goes towards migrant kids receiving health checks. The raffle prizes were fit for any self-respecting talent show, with themes including “debauchery”, “treat yo’self” and “take a break”. As MC Chad said, with a cheeky glint in his eye: “I know which one is my favourite – debauchery.” Big congratulations to the winners, who received some incredible prizes such as a romantic stay at the Hilton, healthcare vouchers from Global Care, and a wide selection of restaurant and bar vouchers. We’d like to thank all our sponsors for providing such amazing prices!
We also received some great feedback from our sponsors that attended the event, including Mike from Signature Wine who told us it was his third time at an MCF murder mystery, and that he “loves helping out at MCF’s events. It’s a great cause and Helen and the organisation do such valuable work.” Another of our valued sponsors, Stu, from St. James Wealth Management, said, “It’s been a fantastic evening, something very different to what you would usually do at the weekend – and all for a good cause!” People were also eager to snap up a specially discounted Badger Beer, with volunteer Rikke in between serving customers reporting, “People are SO enthusiastic about the beer!”.
At the end of the event Helen thanked everyone including the guests, the sponsors, the volunteers, and even her own son! Speaking about where the donations would go, Helen said, “Every year we do an event to raise money for health check ups… William from Global Care has been amazing. He’s done all of our health check ups and it doesn’t matter what I ask – anything I need, he’s there.” There were 110 guests in total and we’d like to thank them all for coming. Not only did we get to share a fun night with friends, it is thanks to our guests and sponsors that we are able to do so much work for migrant children in Beijing.