Scotland’s oldest purpose built cinema taps into cosy crime boom with cult interactive whodunnit
As cosy crime continues to capture audiences across television, publishing and streaming, on 5 August Scotland’s oldest purpose-built cinema is inviting film and mystery fans to join one of the genre’s most iconic amateur detectives for a live, interactive whodunnit.
The Hippodrome in Bo’ness will host critically acclaimed Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote: Sing a Song of Murder giving audiences the chance to solve a case alongside Jessica Fletcher in a one-night-only celebration of mystery, nostalgia and communal big screen fun.
Presented with special permission from NBC Universal Television, Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote transforms a classic episode of Murder, She Wrote into an interactive cinema experience, complete with games, prizes, trivia, audience participation and a race to identify the killer before Jessica Fletcher reveals the truth.
Hosted by super-fan and award-winning playwright Tim Benzie, the event reflects the growing popularity of cosy crime. According to global audience demand analysts Parrot Analytics, the number of new cosy crime screen titles reaching audiences in 2025 is eight times higher than before 2000, with the UK accounting for just under 40% of global cosy crime production.
Rather than simply watching an episode, audiences become part of the investigation, joining fellow amateur sleuths for a joyful, camp and cleverly comic night out in one of Scotland’s most atmospheric cinemas. The show has been rated by Time Out as one of London’s 50 Great Nights Out and has played to sell-out audiences across the UK, Ireland, the USA and Australia.
Tim Benzie, who performed his first Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote at The Hippodrome last year with Old Habits Die Hard, said: “I’m delighted to return to The Hippodrome Bo’ness with a different episode, the riotous Sing a Song of Murder. This show sees Jessica visit her identical twin cousin Emma in London, a character also played by Angela Lansbury, and it’s one of my favourites.”
Alison Stauss, Arts Development Officer (Film and Media) at Falkirk Council said: “Cosy crime has become one of the biggest success stories in television and publishing because people love solving mysteries together. Jessica Fletcher is one of the great screen detectives, and this event celebrates everything audiences enjoy about the genre. Watching it with a room full of fellow sleuths in Scotland’s oldest purpose-built cinema makes it even more special.”
The event comes during a busy summer season at The Hippodrome, which has just launched reduced child and family ticket prices as part of the UK Government’s Great British Summer Savings initiative. Running from now until 1 September 2026, the offer is designed to help families enjoy more affordable cinema trips during the school holidays.
Tickets for the Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote: Sing a Song of Murder are available at: www.hippodromecinema.co.uk
For more information on this release please contact The Cunningly Good Group on 01738 658187.
The Cunningly Good Group is one of Scotland’s leading independent marketing agencies.
The Perth based multi-award winning marketing agency offers clients a strategic one stop shop, spanning the full marketing discipline, including marketing strategy, communications and public relations, graphic design and website development. The blended agency, founded by entrepreneur Tricia Fox in 2002, has worked with some of Scotland’s best known brands including The Enchanted Forest, Scone Palace and HMS Unicorn.
The Cunningly Good Group is one of only three other communications agencies in Scotland to have achieved the Communications Management Standard (CMS) accreditation, as awarded by the industry’s professional body, the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) for companies that demonstrate operational excellence.
