Interactive whodunnit musical opens in Barcelona

The murder-mystery musical comedy, 'Se ha escrito un crimen' (A crime has been written, a literal translation), premiered on Tuesday at Barcelona's Apolo theater.

The musical, written, composed and directed by Naim Thomas, follows seven strangers that are invited to a billionaire’s island mansion, where they must solve a murder  — or else all of their secrets will be exposed. But there’s a twist. 

The actors don’t know who the murderer is at the top of the show. There are seven different endings to ‘Se ha escrito un crimen,' that the audience votes on each night. The seven different endings are accompanied by seven different songs, each corresponding to a character in the show. 

“You’re going to see seven different actors doing something really difficult,” Thomas told Catalan News. “And that’s what I love, to watch them work and fight against the play.”

Thomas believes the future of theater includes “involving the audience.” The show’s constantly evolving nature in combination with the audience’s participation helps it feel “alive.” This extends off the stage as well. 

After the show closes in August, Thomas will begin rewriting the show, adding new endings and other rewrites before the show opens in Madrid in September. He was inspired by theater in London and New York, where problems with the show are fixed, and shows are always being worked on. 

“I wanted to create a moving play,” Thomas said. “We have shows on Halloween, we want to do a different ending, and on Christmas, a different ending.”

Thomas was inspired by the works of Agatha Christie and ‘Murder by Death,’ a spoof on classic murder mysteries. He was also inspired by the surreal, absurd comedy of Monty Python, and writers like Trey Parker and Matt Stone (‘South Park,’ ‘The Book of Mormon’). That fast-paced comedic rhythm helps to keep the play alive. 

“It does not get boring, you know?” Thomas said. “Rhythm. Rhythm, it’s the most important thing in theater.”

‘Se ha escrito un crimen’ will play at the Apolo until August 12. Tickets are available online.