Varthur McArthur

"'Once a Gavroche on Broadway (and not seen on Broadway since), this director is now in Middle America bringing culture to Philistines. Pompous, arrogant, loves being a big fish in a little town.'"Varthur McArthur was the leader of his own theatre company and director of his actors and troupe. He was the first and only victim of the A Circus Steamboat Murder case. In the original production, he was portrayed by Michael James Scott.

Personality
Although seemingly jovial and welcoming in the beginning, interviews with the suspects later reveal that Varthur was selfish and often put himself before others:


 * He promised George that they would put on his show, Clyde and Bonnie next at the theatre, but instead slated A Circus Steamboat Murder for the season behind George's back.


 * It's indicated that he may have cheated on Joan at least once before in their marriage; it's mentioned that he's constantly buying chocolates for Lily, even though she says it's purely platonic, and Joan seemed unsurprised when Justine suggested there may have been more going on behind the scenes between him and Vivika. Not only that, but he seems to prioritize the theatre over their marriage, since he refuses to sell a theater that has sent them into near poverty and drags Joan along on endeavors she wants not to be a part of.
 * Because of Joan trying to sell the theatre using Lily for her agent, he took a bribe from Lily that, should he give her a leading role, she would intentionally fail to find a buyer. This put Vivika, who was always the leading lady, unfairly in a side spot.
 * He promised Cameron a prominent role in A Circus Steamboat Murder with lines, but upon Cameron's arrival, he discovered that he had been cast as a mute steward. This caused him to cancel a paying catering job, even though he ended up having to serve everyone at the dinner party for free in the end.
 * This is elaborated further in the cut song, "Requiem For an A-Hole".

Death
At the dinner party in his and Joan's house, there was a sudden blackout as all of the guests sat down to dinner. When the lights came back on, they all looked to Varthur for reassurance before he promptly fell face-down into his soup; for a moment, they all thought he was very dedicated to his art, before Clarke checked his pulse and discovered that he was, in fact, actually dead, with a dart planted in his arm. This kick-starts the events of the play and the phone call from Clarke that brings her to the house for the investigation.

Throughout the season, more clues are found about how he might have died:


 * The dart is the primary alleged murder weapon and it's discovered that Vivika tried to poison him with atropine. However, George also confesses and states that he used a hypodermic needle to inject sugammadex into Varthur's system; the two canceled each other out.
 * There is also suspicion that Clarke's soup might have been laced with poison, considering Varthur was eating it right before his death and he was the only one of the guests who would ever have it at their dinners. Justine tests it, and finds that it's perfectly safe- not the weapon.

There's even some suspicion that he may have done it, himself, due to the alibis being airtight and the single handprint on the table, which matches only Varthur's.

In the end, however, it's discovered that his true killer is his twin brother, Arthur, who murdered him after growing weary and angry towards his constant usurping of his identity and the theft of his plays. During this confession, we learn that he was actually killed by a blow to the head; in the confusion of the blackout, Arthur snuck into the kitchen, stole a ladle, and knocked him over the head hard enough to kill him.

Episodes

 * Episode 1: "Mayhem and Meatballs"
 * Varthur opens the Justine's flashback by excitedly announcing his latest theatrical creation: A Circus Steamboat Murder, a murder mystery party that takes place on a boat. He invites all of his hopeful cast members to a dinner party for a tentative read-through of the show, sending letters with information of their various characters contained within. He awarded himself the role of the Ringmaster, the character who dies in the show, and spearheads the table as all of the guests arrive ("A Killer Party"). However, as they're all settled in, a blackout occurs, leaving everyone confused for sixty seconds before Clarke manages to get the lights back on. When the lights come back on, Varthur sits for a moment before he falls forward into his soup. Everyone thinks for a moment that it's just excellent acting, but when he doesn't respond to their praise, Clarke suspiciously checks his pulse, finding nothing.

Songs

 * A Killer Party
 * Shipload of Fools