The play will be performed at the Pazo de Castrelos on March 4 and 5 and will feature CIM research staff in the cast, conducting real experiments adapted for children
In the year marking the fiftieth anniversary of the death of the world’s most widely read mystery writer, and taking advantage of World Theatre Day, the Scientific Culture Unit of the University of Vigo, in collaboration with actress and theatre director Cristina Collazo, created a science-outreach adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel The Body in the Library.
The Quiñones de León Municipal Museum in Vigo will host the performance of Mystery at the Manor on March 4 and 5, in which participating students will play a leading role. Guided by Mónica Camaño in the role of Miss Marple, the iconic character created by Agatha Christie, first-year ESO students from four schools in Vigo will have to carry out various tests and experiments to discover who murdered the play’s protagonist, Ruby Keene, portrayed by Adriana Santos Muñoz.
Researchers Tino Quintela, Guillermo Blanco, and André Vidal will take on the roles of Marqués de Quiñones de León, Mark Gaskell, and Raymond Starr, respectively. Meanwhile, the staff of the Scientific Culture Unit (UCC+i) and Víctor Martínez Mariño will serve as support personnel. The cast is completed by the voice-over of Cristina Collazo (Josie), Zé Paredes (Basil Blake), and Manu Paino (Gastón). The sound design is by Marcos Paino.
Two days, four schools, and 200 researchers
The activity will take place on March 4 and 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and around 200 first-year ESO students will visit the manor, divided into two groups per day. This time, the invited schools are IES Álvaro Cunqueiro, IES Alexandre Bóveda, CPR Jesuitinas Miralba, and IES Carlos Casares.
The initiative was presented at midday by the Vice-Rector for Communication and International Relations of the University of Vigo, Monica Valderrama; theatre director Cristina Collazo; CIM researcher Paloma Morán; and the City Council’s Delegate for Culture, Gorka Gómez. Monica Valderrama noted that Mystery at the Manor aims to build bridges between knowledge generated at the university and society, especially the younger audience, encouraging students to “investigate, experiment, and learn by doing.”
Meanwhile, Cristina Collazo emphasized that “the challenge was to turn this story into an immersive, science-based experience in which students are not mere spectators, but active participants in the research,” as “the scientific tasks are integrated into the dramaturgy itself and drive the action forward.”
CIM researcher Paloma Morán explained that “several scientists from the University of Vigo are participating, and we will conduct real experiments adapted for the students with the goal of solving a mystery,” through various tasks that will allow students to discover who the murderer is. Morán, who will participate in the performance alongside researchers André Vidal and Víctor Martínez, emphasized that what matters “is not just the final result, but the process: formulating hypotheses, collecting data, interpreting evidence, and testing conclusions. That is the scientific method.”
From the laboratory to the stage
For the adaptation of the experiments, a multidisciplinary team was created, composed of members from various research groups at the University of Vigo. In addition to handling the scientific content of the play, they will also take on the role of performers. Students, divided into groups, will collaborate with the research team to solve the case through different scientific tasks.
The first task will focus on the collection of DNA samples, footprints, and toxicological analysis, in an activity designed by the Evolutionary Genetics and Biodiversity Conservation group. Another task will involve palynology, coordinated by Celestino Quintela and Nerea Cazás from the Sedimentary Basin Analysis group at CIM. By collecting and studying pollen residues found on the clothing of the suspects, the team will be able to detect possible traces of nature at the crime scene and provide new clues to help identify the perpetrator.
The third task will focus on idiolect analysis and will be led by Guillermo Blanco from the Next-Generation Information Systems group. With the help of the students, the different ways of speaking of the people involved will be analyzed to shed light on the authorship of the crime.
Using the conclusions drawn from the various experiments and with the collaboration of Miss Marple, the participants will need to reconstruct the events and determine who was responsible for the murder of Ruby Keene.
This activity is part of the annual Ciencia de Ida e Volta program, carried out in collaboration with the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology – Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and in partnership with the Quiñones de León Municipal Museum of the City Council of Vigo.
The CIM holds the CIGUS recognition from the Xunta de Galicia, which certifies the quality and impact of its research, and its activity is co-funded by the European Union through the ERDF Programme 2021–2027.
Source: DUVI
