The aroma of home-cooked meals mingling with the laughter of the audience as they participate in unraveling a thrilling murder mystery. “Twin City Entertainment” premiered its latest performance, “Varney Goes Hawaiian,” a comedy-murder-mystery, on Oct. 17.

The performance, produced by University of Louisiana Monroe alumna Brandy Gillmore, will do its final showing on Oct 31. The spooky comedic performance is an interactive dinner at “Kayla’s Kitchen” in West Monroe. In an interview, Gillmore said her goal is to offer more local entertainment through these interactive dinners.

“For me, it is about enriching our community and giving people more things to do,” Gillmore said. “I love being able to open the theater experience to the local community.”

The performance is a sequel to Gillmore’s previous production, “The Castle of Count Varney,” in which Varney’s four wives surprise him with a trip to Hawaii. “You do not usually put vampires and Hawaii together,” Gillmore said. “It is a fun element we added to the show.”

The show is brought to life by Varney’s third wife, Penelope, who captivates the crowd with her performance as a starving vampire. Blood bag in hand, she casts hungry glances at members of the audience.

The production relies heavily on the audience’s participation, not only to solve the mystery but also to have a great time.

“The audience has to help figure out who the killer is and what might have been the motive,” Gillmore said. “There will be dancing and parties; the audience brings the performance together.”

With infectious energy, spectators join in on the hilarious characters’ dances, moving to the lively music that fills the air. During Oct. 18. performance, actors and spectators alike formed a conga line that swayed joyfully around the ballroom.

As for the spooky menu available, in an interview, Kayla Bird from “Kayla’s Kitchen” said she wanted her home-cooked food to complement the performance.

“We wanted the menu to reflect the performance,” Bird said. “We will serve Hawaiian chicken, Loughor pork and a variety of roasted vegetables.”

The captivating murder mystery offers tickets priced at $50, which includes both the performance and dinner. Attendees can look forward to an engaging evening with a delightful meal served between acts.