A triple murder in Moreton Bay

Credit: Creative Futures Photography

During the month of May 2025, Improv Queensland brought back our award winning interactive show, A Murder at the Bowlo and hit the road for a three show run during the 2025 Anywhere Festival Moreton Bay.

Set in Queensland in the year 1987, A Murder at the Bowlo sees the who’s who of the fictional Rural Party come together for a fundraiser at the local bowls club. The dutiful citizens of Moreton Bay who attended the festival shows found themselves interacting with Graeme Pintzer (Local Member and Queensland Health Minister), Damo Woyzeck (Big-time property developer), Kevie Deans (Rural Party Branch President and jack of all trades contractor), Toni Negroni (Nightclub owner and totally ‘legitimate’ business woman), Siobhan Finese (Local ‘Big Kev’ style entrepreneur), Ruby ‘Shines’ Finese (A rising starlet), Barbara St Claire (Self-made millionaire inventor), Johnny “Aces” Acer (tennis legend) and Margot Devraux (recent and frequent widower) under the ‘watchful’ gaze of Acting Sergeant Richard Head and Probationary Constable Paul Ossifer.

All appears to be running normally (or what constitutes normal for a political event in the era of the Fitzgerald Inquiry) until one of the attendees very dramatically and publicly shuffles off the mortal coil. Oh no! There’s been a murder at the bowlo! The audience is then invited to interact with the remaining “living” improvisers to determine the identity of the murderer, how they pulled off the crime and their motivations for doing so. What’s more, the first audience member to figure out the crime wins a meat tray!

show 1 - Mango Hill community hall

“It was a dark and stormy night'“ is often the starting point for a good murder mystery tale. So perhaps it was appropriate that our first show found our improvisers and the audience battling unseasonably wet and windy weather on the journey to Mango Hill.

However, all was dry and warm inside the Mango Hill Community Hall. Much of the heat was likely generated by the energy of our cast, many of whom were debuting new characters and taking part in their first Murder at the Bowlo performance.

Credit: Creative Futures Photography

If they were nervous, they didn’t show at, as they delighted the audiences by sharing their character’s back stories and dropping clues as to the identity of the murderer. The audience was also delighted by the spectacle and particularly Graeme’s rants against alfresco dining. The meat tray was awarded to a young sleuth who quickly cottoned on the mystery.

You know you’ve had a good night supporting the arts when you go home with a meat tray that’s bigger than you are. Credit: Creative Futures Photography

Emboldened by the audiences response and having received great reviews, our cast moved on to their next show.

Show 2 - Woody Point Memorial Hall

Our second show saw the action move to the Woody Point Memorial Hall at picturesque Woody Point.

A last minute surge in ticket sales saw our performers entertaining a large and supportive audience. The people of Woody Point are clearly into exciting extra-curricular activities, because not only did they turn up in numbers to our show, but they were very excited about Damo’s proposal to demolish the memorial hall and build a floating casino in its place.

Unfortunately for those fans of gambling whilst floating (and for Damo!) Damo later turned up murdered and it was up to the audience to figure out who did it. They took to the task with gusto, whilst also requesting many photos with the cast during the show! We are reliably informed that our successful sleuth (and meat tray winner) at this show is a vegetarian. Never has a vegetarian been more excited to win a meat tray.

It was clear that fun was had by all - even for those who didn’t win a meat tray. More great reviews were received and our cast turned their attention to the next show.

show three - narangba bowls club

The final show of our Anywhere Moreton Bay schedule was truly the pièce de résistance of our three show run. A Murder at the Bowlo at an actual bowls club - the Narangba Bowls Club to be exact.

Not only were our cast excited, so were the people of Narangba. The show had been sold out for weeks and the bowls club volunteers were welcoming the audience with the allure of 80’s themed snacks (not to mention the bar!).

Getting into the Narangba Bowls Club spirit

The audience were completed sold and involved from the minute doors opened. They enthusiastically supported Graeme’s denouncements of Melbourne and Daylight Savings and even gave a slight cheer when Damo announced that he didn’t like children. The rush and enthusiasm to solve the murder was palpable, with the audience clearly hanging on the every word of the final denouement (or the explanation of the murder, for those of you who don’t like big French words).

Nothing to see here. Just a dead body in a bowlo.

A Murder at the Bowlo has now delighted audiences in Brisbane, Sydney and Moreton Bay. Be sure to catch it the next time it comes to a community hub near you. It may be sooner than you think.