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Solving the Mystery: Designing Park Theatre’s Whodunnit Success

The Client

Park Theatre was founded by Artistic Director Jez Bond and Creative Director Melli Marie, who, after a six-year search across London, discovered a vacant office block near Finsbury Park station in 2010.

Known for its welcoming and nurturing environment, Park Theatre is deeply committed to accessibility and inclusivity, offering affordable ticket pricing and outreach programmes to engage those with little or no experience of theatre. The theatre is a vibrant cultural hub, dedicated to serving its diverse community through innovative programming and community-focused initiatives.

The Opportunity

Having collaborated with Park Theatre on several projects over the years—including HTML email campaign designs, show creatives, and programs—we were approached to create the show creative for their fundraising murder mystery series, Whodunnit.

The Whodunnit series is a key fundraising initiative for Park Theatre, making it crucial to create visuals that not only capture the intrigue and excitement of the show but also resonate across multiple platforms, ensuring maximum engagement and support from their audience.

The goal was to maintain continuity with the first instalment while introducing fresh visual elements that would align with the original design. We were tasked with working on both the second and third editions of Whodunnit, and it was a privilege to contribute to one of the theatre’s most significant fundraising events.

Our Approach

The team at The Graphic Design House began by thoroughly reviewing the brief to understand the creative requirements and key details. This step was crucial in ensuring that the new designs would align with the original Whodunnit creative while introducing elements that would make the second and third instalments stand out.

Mood Board Creation: Given that the initial campaign lacked final character details, we developed mood boards to help visualize potential design elements. This allowed us to explore different visual styles and ensure that the final creative would be cohesive and engaging.

Character Design: We designed visual representations of each character, complete with possible murder weapons and detailed lists of character traits. This process was essential in creating a narrative-driven design that would draw audiences into the mystery of Whodunnit.

Photoshop Composition: Using Photoshop, we assembled the characters by layering and manipulating various elements, such as adding cigarettes, altering suits, and adjusting facial hair. This step was vital in creating a realistic and immersive scene that captured the essence of the show.

Finalizing the Scene: We experimented with character positioning and added shadowing to create a cohesive group visual.

Once the design was approved, we produced various sizes for different platforms, including social media, print, and web, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints.

Phase Two – Cast Integration: After Park Theatre selected the cast and conducted a photoshoot, we replaced the original character designs with images of the actual cast members. Thanks to our meticulous work in the initial phase, this transition was seamless, allowing us to finalize the visuals quickly and efficiently.

This approach ensured that the Whodunnit creative was not only visually striking but also versatile enough to be used across multiple platforms, reinforcing the show’s branding and driving engagement.

Results

We delivered a comprehensive range of design elements for Whodunnit, including a souvenir program, advertising across various touchpoints, and bespoke HTML campaigns. The Graphic Design House’s expertise in both print and digital design allowed us to maintain consistency across all platforms, which was key to the show’s success.

Whodunnit has become Park Theatre’s primary fundraising event of the year, significantly contributing to the theatre’s ongoing community and outreach efforts.

Next Steps

Our collaboration with Park Theatre continues as we work on more show creative, programmes, and other marketing campaigns and advertising for different shows. We are committed to supporting their diverse programming and community engagement initiatives, ensuring that Park Theatre remains a cornerstone of cultural life in Finsbury Park.

The theatre’s continued trust in our creative services speak volumes about the success and impact of our collaboration. We look forward to building on this foundation and contributing to the future successes of Park Theatre.