West Stanly Players present ‘Cutthroat Christmas’ dinner theatre performance

Published 3:13 pm Tuesday, November 25, 2025

ALBEMARLE — With the Christmas season returning, the West Stanly Players are bringing a new twist to a long-running tradition.

After an opening run last weekend, the troupe will present its “Cutthroat Christmas” interactive murder mystery dinner theater performance on Dec. 5 and 6 in the Magnolia Room at Atrium Stanly.

The show, which blends holiday cheer with a whodunit experience, includes a three-course meal. Tickets are $25 and must be purchased in advance.

There was an early preview performance Nov. 20 at West Stanly High School, followed by shows Nov. 21 and 22. Now, the Players are preparing to take the dinner production off campus and invite the community to join in the show.

Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. both nights, with the performance beginning at 7 p.m.

Seating is limited. To reserve a table and purchase tickets, attendees may email West Stanly Players director Wes Tucker at [email protected] or call April Tucker at 704-791-3200.

“We try to rotate each year between Christmas plays and dinner theatre, so this year we just decided to combine the two styles into one,” Wes Tucker said in a statement. “The show is guaranteed to provide the audience with a hilarious and exciting evening of entertainment from start to finish.”

The Players have more than two decades of experience producing interactive dinner theatre, a format that has become one of the group’s most requested offerings.

“I have often thought about doing a dinner show in the theatre, so this year we decided to do something different and perform at home,” Tucker said. “I am also very excited about bringing our show to Albemarle at Atrium Stanly for the first time as well.”

“Cutthroat Christmas,” written by Kari Williamson and Stefanie R. Austin, is described as “a twisted tale of lies, deceit, backstabbing and murder at a company Christmas party.”

When guests enter the Magnolia Room, they will be welcomed not as spectators but as employees attending the fictional Kringle Company’s annual holiday gathering.

Audience members are not only treated to a full meal and performance, but they also become part of the story as suspects, interrogators and amateur detectives attempting to crack the case before the night ends.

The evening will feature two Christmas-themed mysteries. The first unfolds during the appetizer course: “The Knife Before Christmas,” a comedic short designed to help the audience sharpen their detective skills.

Guests are encouraged to wear their best ugly Christmas sweater for a contest held during the event and to bring canned goods to support the West Stanly Players and National Honor Society food drive.