A BREW TO A KILL! GUILDFORD SHAKESPEARE COMPANY UNVEIL NEW IMMERSIVE MURDER MYSTERY

Taking over the entire Hogs Back Brewery this autumn for a night of fiendish fun, the immersive production invites audiences into the heart of a brewing family whose fortunes are about to turn deadly. As the family’s world begins to unravel, audiences must follow the clues, uncover the truth and discover who is willing to kill to protect the family business.

Set in the 1950s and taking a little inspiration from Shakespeare’s Wars of the Roses cycle, audiences are thrown headfirst into the world of the Gloucester family as they prepare to relaunch their struggling brewery. Siblings George, Edwina and Richard each have their own vision for the family business, but with a rival brewery and a local gangster circling, tensions are running high. As the family prepares to celebrate the opening of its refurbished Tap Room, a chilling discovery is made just before the ribbon is cut, and it soon becomes clear that trouble is brewing.

Rather than simply watching the action unfold, audiences will become part of the investigation, stepping into rooms across the Hogs Back Brewery, including the Hop Hanger, Brew House, Dutch Barn, as well as another secret location. Moving between spaces, they will interrogate suspects, hunt for clues and piece together the evidence, with each new scene revealing another twist in the family’s tangled story. With time running out, audiences will need to keep their wits about them, separate fact from fiction and decide who they trust, as they seek to work out whodunnit!

Following the sell-out success of Boeing, Boeing, Gone!, staged on a real 747, and The Housetrap, set at West Horsley Place, the manor house used in BBC’s Ghosts, GSC once again swaps the traditional theatre for somewhere altogether more unexpected. A Brew To A Kill continues Guildford Shakespeare Company’s 20-year commitment to creating accessible theatre and encouraging wider engagement beyond traditional theatre venues.

Devised by GSC and written by Eli Murton, who also wrote the company’s previous murder mysteries, A Brew To A Kill is directed by GSC co-founder Matt Pinches. The production features costume design by Anett Black, sound design by Matt Eaton and production and company stage management and lighting design by Hannah Walker. The cast will be announced closer to the production.

Co-founder and director Matt Pinches comments, I am relishing the prospect of directing the final show in our 20^th Anniversary Year, and even more so as it’s with one of our longest-standing partners, Hogs Back Brewery. These Murder Mysteries are really special experiences, for both company and audiences. Up close improvisation, honed detective skills, and a charmingly funny, satisfyingly cryptic script will make for a memorable immersive experience.

Saturday 24^th October – Sunday 15^th November 2026

Hogs Back Brewery, Manor Farm, The Street, Tongham, FarnhaM

 

This company is nothing short of miraculous. A beacon for the arts

Brian Blessed OBE

 

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