Bump off at the Grind – a long time in development… – by Jo Smedley

Finally, after 2 and a bit years of threatening, Bump off at the Grind has hit the shelves.  I must admit it’s taken me some time to write, not least because of the number of large group commissions I’ve taken on in the last few years which have kept me hard at it, researching and developing new systems of play, as well as just new plots!

However, we were in the lucky position of having a couple of genuine burlesque stars working for the firm a couple of years ago, and it was as a result of my association with them in the world of burlesque and back stage in the local club, that the idea for Bump off at the Grind came about.

Contrary to popular opinion, burlesque girls are, for the main, a lovely bunch of cupcake-consuming-vintage-loving-sisters-in-arms.  Backstage there’s a love of love, jokes, camaraderie and genuine friendships.  Which poses a problem when it comes to setting a murderer within their midst.  Quite frankly I can’t think of any girls I’ve met who would have the temperament to kill anyone.

Also there are so many burlesque names floating about out there, with girls attached to them, that I knew it was going to be difficult to find enough “new names” to put to my cast of characters.  So the girls and I hit upon a different idea – use REAL burlesque dancers who agreed to be part of the plot.  And so, with much trepidation on my part as i didn’t want to typecast anyone, Bump Off at the Grind’s characters came into being.

Obviously there’s quite a bit of artistic license within the description of the girls, and I’ve egged-up some character traits and downplayed all their “nice” bits to make any of them appear capable of murder, but it does mean that if you want to play the game, you can actually google (for the most part) your character and find some pictures, and perhaps even some you-tube clips of your girl strutting their stuff on stage.

There are two totally made up names in the list… see if you can spot them… though by now they might well have girls attached…

Don’t let the fact your character is based on someone real put you off going over the top into your roles, and if you have the time to add in a burlesque workshop as part of your party preparations I can assure you of a cracking-fun time.

But whether you’re stripping, cavorting or just swallowing jelly vodka shots between courses, I hope you’ll have a lot of fun at the first modern Burlesque themed murder mystery game to hit the internet.

To take a look at the burlesque murder mystery yourself and read up on the plot – simply click here: Bump off at the Grind