Masked Revengers?

At Red Herring Games we’re often asked to help source props and costumes for special events.  Often if it’s a team building event or last minute private party, accessories are the costumes of choice.  It’s far easier to accessorize a guest than it is to provide full fancy dress.

Top of our “loves” when it comes to accessories are masks.  There are a few murder mysteries that suit masks better than others, but if you are needing a costume change in a hurry – masks are certainly a fun accessory to have!

And if you are looking for something special, then look no further than Masque Boutique – a fellow winner of #SBS – they have a variety of “off the shelf” masks but can also create masks to order, and boy can they create something bespoke!!

We chatted to Tanith over the phone just the other day and asked her to give us a bit of a potted history on mask wearing – just because we love a bit of history here at RHG.  (Ask Jo, she often gets engrossed in research when writing bespoke games!)

Tanith said:

“When you think of a Masked Ball, it probably conjures up images of an 18^th Century affair – with giant wigs, elegant corseted dresses and classic Venetian Ball Masks. However, wearing of masquerade masks pops up in many societies and cultures throughout history in both their celebrations and staged entertainment – long before the Venetians wore them to their Carnivale.

In Medieval Europe, the wearing of masks was used vividly in mystery and miracle plays, portraying allegorical creatures and focusing on popular Bible stories. The wearers presented an air of mystery and power over their audience in their disguise and expressive nature, enabling the actor to become someone else entirely.”

And when it comes to playing a murder mystery game, you find yourself needing to become someone else entirely!  So masks are perfect disguises and accessories!

Obviously masks don’t suit all our mysteries, but some of our themes beg to have masks as accessories.

The first is Mardi Gras Masquerade Murder which is set in New Orleans. It has “masquerade” in the title, which is a bit of a give away!  So why not ask each guests to bring a mask with them – it will enhance the overall experience of your guests – transporting them into the story and allowing them become a new character and hide any reservations they might have behind their masks!

There’s some beautiful masks at Masque Boutique that work well for this game.  And it’s important to remember that nearly all of their masks are handmade so you can be sure you’ll have something quite different to the other guests!  They also offer a free custom mask design service so you can customise the masks to suit your personality.  If all of your guests use Tanith at Masque Boutique – then do tell her it’s for the same murder mystery – and she will ensure you all have very different masks.  If you tell her your character, she’ll also ensure you pick a mask that will suit your role.

We asked Tanith to suggest a few “off the peg” designs to give us a feel for what she could suggest, and she quickly came up with these three gorgeous mask accessories.

	This purple classic mask, will make any party girl feel special.
	Who wouldn’t want to be seen in this beautiful peacock and butterfly accessory?
	This mens gold and feather Venetian mask will certainly turn heads.

While masks make a great addition for many murder mystery games and events, another “top favourite” for mask wearers is: ‘Bump Off at the Grind’.

After all, what better way to get your party of burlesque girls into character than by hiding their sultry faces behind extravagant feather masquerade masks and sexy lace masks.

Tanith at Masque Boutique picked out a few of her favourites for us:

	Firstly this elegant Burlesque feather mask in black with white (which can be customised with other coloured feathers as well to fit in with your outfit)
	Then she suggested this super girly sparkly hot pink feather mask (also available in other colours) and
	finally this gorgeous genuine Venetian red lace mask (comes in a blue, silver, gold and bronze).

So if you feel like making your murder mystery event that little bit extra special, visit Masque Boutique who are offering all of our customers a special 15% discount code (RedHerring15) to use on their site. You can pass this onto your guests or arrange a bulk order discount.