By Nick Pilgrim
In the past year or two, whodunnits have returned to the local live entertainment scene with a vengeance.
Standout plays and experiences include:
- And Then There Were None
- Dial M For Murder
- Murder In The Graveyard
- The Mousetrap
- The 39 Steps
Just to name a few.
The newest addition to this ever-expanding list is likely the most diabolical staging of all. Based on the popular board game, Clue, and the 1985 motion picture tribute of the same name, Cluedo is currently plotting its way on a national tour around Australia.
Running at a brisk ninety-minutes, this is a show which ramps up the energy to eleven from the get-go.
Offering both an accessible and addictive narrative, allows viewers to quickly latch on to and engage with Cluedo’s nostalgic camp appeal. Very much a production where no detail is left to chance, somehow reminded me of The Play That Goes Wrong.
These productions share broad characterisation, manic plot twists, multiple storylines piling on top of one another, and the sense that the entire mechanism could collapse into a spectacular heap at any given moment.
Where The Play That Goes Wrong exploits that topsy turvy appeal to the limit, by comparison Cluedo is a well-oiled machine. How the expert cast and stellar technical support work as one, left this critic in gobsmacked awe.
In short, the story begins when six strangers are invited to a secluded mansion in the English countryside. Asked to identify by a colourful pseudonym, it is soon revealed each guest is being blackmailed by their mysterious host.
When he is suddenly murdered, the assembled party and his dependable butler, join forces to uncover the killer. Finding they are locked inside the house with no escape, mayhem ensues when the body count starts to rise. Told that police have been alerted and are on their way, can the group save their shared reputations in a race against time?
Little about Cluedo feels rehearsed or scripted.
Instead, the journey unfolds like an extended theatre sports exercise, or television’s Thank God You’re Here and Fawlty Towers combined. Like catching someone in a lie and watching them dig an even bigger hole for themself, the veteran ensemble milk and maintain Cluedo’s spontaneity non-stop.
Knowledgeable fans of both the board game and especially the film (which starred Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull and Lesley Ann Warren) will appreciate Cluedo’s impressive attention to detail.
While the motion picture flopped on first release, it found a second life via VHS rentals and repeated late-night cable television screenings. Earning cult classic status, that well-deserved reputation has been maintained ever since.
Thanks to several key moments of spontaneous applause, there was a lot of love in the room on Tuesday night. That joy was noted when Cluedo’s iconic murder weapons were first revealed, combined with some rapid-fire puns, terrible dad jokes and deliberately cheesy dialogue.
The production’s eleven-strong cast on opening night included Rachael Beck (as Mrs White), Laurence Boxhall (Reverend Green), Olivia Deeble (Miss Scarlett), David James (Professor Plum), Genevieve Lemon (Mrs Peacock), Adam Murphy (Colonel Mustard), Grant Piro (Wadsworth), Joshua Monaghan (Mr Boddy), Octavia Barron (Martin Cook), Liv Campbell (Yvette) and Nate Jobe (Bobby).
This is a character actor’s dream come true, and don’t they know it. Diving deep into their respective roles, Beck and Lemon, in particular, were completely unrecognisable.
Each performer is a delightful asset, whether bouncing off one another or relishing an individual moment in the spotlight. Rarely are they given the chance to catch a breath, such is Cluedo’s frantic pace. How the group maintain that energy, is anyone’s guess and a major part of the fun.
Standbys are listed as Berryn Schwerdt, Natasha Vickery, Blake Erickson, and Daisy Cousens.
Beyond its top-drawer list of talent, perhaps the most unexpected pleasure from seeing Cluedo in person is the show’s outstanding production values.
Period perfect composition and sound design (by Sean Peter), set and costume design (James Browne), lighting design (Jasmine Rizk), movement direction (Danielle Evrat), production management (Alex Duffy) are tied together by laser-focussed direction (Luke Joslin).
As with any broad comedy, slamming doors or hectic running from room to room are de rigueur. Timed to perfection, Cluedo’s picture book staging opens and shuts like a gigantic filing cabinet. Without giving the game entirely away, this aspect alone is worth the price of admission. Agatha Christie would revel in every delicious moment.
Sprinkled with bountiful Easter eggs and the like, if you’re a fan of Death Becomes Her, Knives Out, Scavenger Hunt, or Only Murders in The Building, this is the show for you.
Playing for a strictly limited season at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre before heading to Adelaide and Sydney, Cluedo is an armchair detective’s joy.
Don’t miss out.
Images: Jeff Busby
