Meet Tony – Atlas Helpdesk Engineer … … … with a taste for Murder, Mystery and Suspense

As usual it started out as quiet evening; hotel, 3 course meal, friends and weekend chatter. In the hotel reception we found Helen: knife through her chest and a paramedic in attendance. Only minutes earlier she had been arguing with an off-duty police sergeant over some missing money …

As the evening progressed and questions were asked, Tony became a victim too; horrific burns and a blow to the head with a heavy dumbbell. We know why it happened. Tony it transpired, is an ex-convict, blackmailing a prison governor for thousands of pounds. Seems Tony has an alias too - Joel Landon for some reason….

This is the world of Murder Mysteries. None of the above is really 'real'. Tony is one of a bunch of actors who put on murder nights for wannabe detectives. During the day he’s quite normal and works for Atlas Business supporting accounting software customers.

It’s in the evenings that his alter ego appears. Tony has been heavily involved in the theatre for over 25 years. On Saturday mornings he can be found teaching drama to 8-16 years old for Leeds Children’s Theatre something he really enjoys and gets a lot of satisfaction from. Over the years this group has produced some outstanding talent, such as Angela Griffin of ‘Corrie’ and Waterloo Road fame. Tony has acted in many shows and musicals, and directed one or two as well, has performed in a variety of locations, even doing a ‘pilgrimage’ for local charities and street theatre.

A few times each year he heads for The Bridge Hotel, Wetherby to weave a web of intrigue and murder for the gathered audience to solve. Seems he and his mates do this just for fun…. They have been to RAF bases, hotel chains like DeVere, and even wedding receptions! There is no script. The players follow a timetable of events and the whole ‘happening’ is interactive. The guests talk to the actors who stay in character the whole evening. At one event Tony was dragged across the floor by a guest who thought he was the main culprit – he wasn’t on this occasion.

The driving force behind these endeavours is Tony’s best friend, Sue Gibson. The make-up is so realistic that she was once arrested as a murder suspect after she had taken some photos to be developed of apparently dead bodies. That took more than a bit of explaining….

Should you feel inspired to ‘have a go’ or ‘join up’ just have a word with Tony on 0333 666 3330 and he will be delighted to point you in the right direction. Alternatively you can email him at tony.hutchinson@atlasbiz.com.