A murderous game is afoot in this classic whodunnit
Murder and blackmail are on the menu in Cluedo – and audiences are thrilled to go along for the ride.
Sometimes the journey is more important – and much more fun – than the destination. Such is the case with the often-hilarious farce Cluedo, now on at QPAC’s Playhouse until February 1.
As with the popular board game of the same name, it’s a whodunnit, but the real purpose is to provide lots of laughs at the silliness. So, who actually had “done it” is unimportant.
Judging by the uproarious laughter of the audience, Cluedo is a welcome distraction from the many worries of the real world. Some might, on occasion, have to make allowances for dated humour but, hey, if you like this sort of thing it is a lot of fun.
The play is adapted from the 1985 film Clue, written and directed by the legendary Jonathan Lynn of TV’s Yes, Minister! and Yes, Prime Minister! renown. The film has achieved cult status, so it might be worth seeing it if it is streaming somewhere.
This stage version is written by Sandy Rustin, with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price. (An interesting piece of trivia is that the game was called Cluedo in the UK but just Clue in the US because the original referenced the game Ludo, which was not available in the US.)
Director Luke Joslin grew up watching TV shows such as Fawlty Towers, Blackadder and Monty Python, and he has wholeheartedly embraced their spirit. The performances and humour are big and broad, and everything that can go wrong, does. Fans of the enormously popular The Play That Goes Wrong should be very happy with the result.
Set in 1949 at the ominously named Boddy Manor, Cluedo has the manor’s butler, Wadsworth – a scene-stealing Grant Piro – welcoming guests and assigning them with the well-known names of Professor Plum (David James), Mrs White (Rachael Beck, almost unrecognisable with a stern, dark hair-do), Colonel Mustard (Adam Murphy), Mrs Peacock (a star turn by Genevieve Lemon), Miss Scarlet (Olivia Deeble) and Reverend Green (Laurence Boxhall). Murders proceed to occur with alarming regularity and the hunt for the killer is on.
Lib Campbell goes suitably overboard with her saucy French maid performance (which might grate for some but remember it was written in the ’80s). Octavia Barron-Martin plays the Cook, Nat Jobe plays the policeman and Joshua Monaghan is Mr Boddy.
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Apart from the OTT acting, which is required and delivered with gusto from all the performers, the set design by James Browne (who also does costume design) is an outstanding contribution to the overall production. The imposing manor has numerous doors and moving rooms to help with the feel of a murderous maze.
This is complemented by the atmospheric lighting design by Jasmine Rizk and sound design by Sean Peter to evoke a storm through the stained-glass windows. It all helps set the scene for a fun murder mystery. There is also much choreographed movement for comic effect, with Danielle Evrat as movement director.
John Frost and Crossroads Live, phenomenally successfully producers who have helmed too many hit shows to mention, continue their tradition with Cluedo giving audiences what they pay for – to be entertained.
Cluedo continues at the Playhouse, QPAC, until February 1.
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