Mr. Alistair Hobb
Funded the dig to prove his own name belongs in a museum.
An excavation camp on the night of a great discovery
The Pharaoh's Alibi
The tomb was sealed. So was his fate.
Four thousand years of silence, broken in a single afternoon. The tomb is opened, the plates are ruined, and by dinner the expedition's photographer is dead in his tent with a newly excavated amulet in his hand. The desert keeps the local police nine hours away.
Players10–16
Evening3 hours
HostingIntermediate
Written forAdults, 16+
The story
The Pharaoh's Alibi plays in three acts with a dinner break the script plans for. Times below assume a 7pm start; every kit includes a version for a later table.
Act I7:30 pm
The Opening
Guests are shown the objects from the antechamber. A catalogued amulet is missing, and the foreman's account of the seal changes twice.
Act II8:20 pm
The Tent
The patron is found dead. A sandstorm forces everyone into the mess tent, where the drinking starts and the accusations do not stop.
Act III9:30 pm
The Curse
The host reads the excavation diary aloud. What the diary leaves out is what convicts the guilty.
The cast
Six to 16 roles are written; the kit scales down by folding the smallest parts into the host. Each character arrives with a public face and a private problem.
Dr. Marion Bell
Would trade her reputation for one honest photograph.
Tarek Aziz
Knows the valley better than the map does.
Lady Honoria Hobb
Keeps a diary of everything, including tonight.
Clues & evidence
Four of the nine clues
- A catalogued amulet replaced with a replica
- A camera plate showing the tomb door already open
- A page torn from the excavation diary
- A pair of boots with Valley sand in a sealed tent
Props unique to this kit
- A dirty, dog-eared excavation permit
- A set of replica amulets with one missing
- A telegram from the Cairo museum dated the wrong day