George: My dear guests, I thank you all for coming tonight. Are you enjoying your meal? Good, good. More sparkling cider?
George walks to a near by table and offers to refill an audience members glass.
George: There we are. I am sorry not to have informed you of my purpose sooner, but I feared my plan may be discovered if I had not been so indiscreet. Now, however, I am free to tell you all personally why you’ve been invited here. One year ago, precisely, my wife and I were eating in this very restaurant…
The room darkens with the exception of a single spotlight on an individual table. At the table sit George, Rosemary, and Iris.
Iris: I’m so full! I couldn’t eat another bite.
George: It was quite filling. Rosemary?
He puts a hand on his wife’s shoulder
George: She appears to have fallen victim to a food coma.
He chuckles and shakes her once more
George: Rosemary. Rosemary? Rosemary!
Iris: She isn’t breathing, George! Someone call an ambulance!
George: I don’t feel a pulse. Oh my lord…
Iris looks through Rosemary’s bag for her medication
Iris: Maybe she forget to take her medication… or she took too much… George, what was she taking?
George: Just an antidepressant. The doctor said it would help her but she it hasn’t had any effect at all. If anything it’s-
Iris pulls a bottle of white powder out of the purse and sniffs it
Iris: George… This smells like… almonds.
George: Almonds?
A doctor walks in and rather rudely makes his way through the audience. He checks her vitals.
Doctor: I’m afraid we are too late. This woman is dead.
He snatches the bottle from Iris
Doctor: Why, this is cyanide! Where was this found?
Iris: I found it in her purse.
Doctor: I see. Then she was poisoned… her body clearly shows signs of it. You didn’t notice her convulsing, correct? Then she certainly chose this in order to remain unknown.
Iris: Chose? What are you saying?!
Doctor: I’m saying that this poor woman committed suicide. She was on antidepressants – I know that from her patient file. It’s a terrible thing, especially since today was her birthday.
Iris: You sure know a lot about her off the top of your head, doctor.
Doctor: I’m just very thorough, miss.
George: Oh… My poor Rosemary…
The spotlights go out leaving the room in complete darkness just long enough for the actors to exit the room with the exception of George who returns to his previous location from the beginning.
George: Now, my friends, you know about my late wife’s death almost completely. Just recently I received a letter that informed me that my wife did not, in fact, end her own life, but was murdered! That’s right! Murdered! But I could not trace the letter nor was there any clue of who committed the crime. In an attempt to scare the killer into confession, I have hired an actress who looks remarkably similar to my dear Rosemary to take her place at our dinner, and I have invited all the same people to eat with us, with the exception of you, dear friends, who will be my witnesses from every side of the room. I’m sure with this many keen eyes, your impeccable minds will be able to deduce pause who done it?
George walks over to the door and invites in Iris, Colonel Race, and Lucilla Drake. They sit at the table from before and eat normally, making small talk like any other table in the restaurant.
The Audience is now served and allowed to eat for 10 to 15 minutes while music is performed in the background to keep things interesting. 
many of the actors, especially unwritten characters, also act as servers. These characters have greater freedom in their parts, and it is their job to keep up high energy and a comedic feel (with the exception of Victor, who is mean and unpleasant. Victor must rotate among tables so as to make sure none of the tables receive too much bad service, just enough to make them notice the singular bad waiter). They are as much important to the stories as scripted characters.
Sparkling Cyanide - A Mouthwatering Mystery 