Harry Potter and the Parseltongue Parlay

Magnolia Park is known for offbeat, quirky retailers, and Geeky Teas & Games is certainly one of the more eclectic stores I frequent in the area. Part cat rescue, part game store, part artisanal tea-blender, part British snack retailer, and part event venue, it made a very on-brand location for Maid to Order Mysteries’  latest production. A murder-mystery with LARP elements blended in, the sold-out Harry Potter and the Parseltongue Parlay offered a roughly three-hour participant-driven immersive experience where being a Potter fan helped but was by no means necessary.

Please Proceed to Platform 9 ¾

Harry Potter and the Parseltongue Parlay technically began well in advance of the showtime at Geeky Teas. Shortly after signing up, I was sent a questionnaire which served as a “sorting hat” to help the event’s organizers (Khai Dattoli and Lauren Baldwin) figure out which character to assign to each guest. All of the characters were drawn from the major and minor characters from the Harry Potter books, though Dattoli and Baldwin made it clear that while coming in character is encouraged, it was also entirely optional. Which was good because I had no idea who my character was at the time and own precisely zero Harry Potter cosplay gear.

On the other hand, it was clear upon my arrival at Geeky Teas that there were plenty of enthusiasts. After checking in with a couple fellow guests who DID come in full House uniform, we were given some additional materials and led into the Geekeasy (Geeky Teas’ event space). Parseltongue Parlay was a 21+ event, and came with a free drink (choice of wine or “butterbeer,” a butterscotch schnapps cocktail) which I sipped while getting to know my fellow participants. Some of the costumes were very elaborate, and a couple folks even went into full LARP mode. We voted on best costume at the end and it was honestly a tough decision as to who I’d pick. Out of the fifty-ish guests, there were at least half a dozen who were utterly spot-on.

The Game is Afoot

The experience began in earnest with an introduction from Dattoli and Baldwin, who were fairly hands-off during the actual experience. In fact, Harry Potter and the Parseltongue Parlay was driven almost entirely by participant interactions and various props. The only two actual cast members (apart from our hostesses) were Hagrid (Adam Connor) and Argus Filch (Matt Basora), whose costumes are very much on point (Filch even has a stuffed Mrs. Norris). But even they were effectively living puzzles, gatekeepers to specific side scenes which required some investigating in order to unlock.

While the show is sold out, I’ll avoid spoilers in case they remount in the future. The short version is that the experience took place following the conclusion of the books, with a sudden murder just before a Quidditch match. Guests were grouped by House based on their assigned character (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin, for the uninitiated) and tasked with identifying who among us was the killer. To do so, we needed to search for clues, interview our fellow guests, and even interpret a few prophecies before voting on who we thought was the culprit before they could strike again.

Did We Win?

For the most part, the design of Harry Potter and the Parseltongue Parlay worked well. The props were clever and thematically-appropriate, and numerous enough to both set the scene and make hunting for clues actually take a bit of poking around. The show also made good use of the space available in Geeky Teas without getting in the way of the store’s other patrons. It also featured a pretty smartly-designed narrative, with a few red herrings and false leads that kept the mystery from being too easy to solve.

I will say that grouping guests into Houses was a bit of a double-edged sword in the show I attended. On one hand, it was an effective way of managing a few dozen guests by creating pre-built smaller groups with a reason to work together. On the other hand, it got a bit cliquey, with the different groups reluctant to share information or interact at all unless necessary. And there were a couple of cases where groups hoarded props they weren’t actively using, refusing to let other groups take them when needed.

It would be understandable if the Houses were actually competing, but in theory we were meant to be working together to solve a murder. It might be worth reminding guests that while the Houses are there to create smaller, manageable groups, in the end we’re all working together to solve a murder. And to put the props back when you’re done with them.

Should You Go?

It may seem like an academic question at this point given this run is sold out, but I’d say it’s worth doing if it crops back up. In my view, Harry Potter and the Parseltongue Parlay was a fun, lighthearted immersive whodunnit which gave fans a chance to play in character and non-fans a quirky, engaging mystery to solve.

Also, Maid to Order Mysteries has another production coming up, again at Geeky Teas: Yule Ball Murder – A Harry Potter Murder Mystery. Based on my experience here, I’d say it’s worth a look. Harry Potter fans will probably get more out of it, but even if you’ve never read the books or seen the movies it should still be a fun time. My advice would be to talk to your allies in other Houses as well as folks in your own, and be willing to work with those not on your “team” to share information you both need.

Tickets for Yule Ball Murder can be purchased through the event pages on Facebook or by reaching out to Maid to Order Mysteries. There are currently two shows scheduled, one on December 1^st and one on December 8^th. But if those sell out it’s entirely possible more dates will be added, as was the case with Harry Potter and the Parseltongue Parlay.

In addition to their websites, you can learn more or follow both Geeky Teas & Games and Maid to Order Mysteries on social media:

Maid to Order Mysteries: Facebook, Instagram
Geeky Teas and Games: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest