When I heard CLUEDO was coming to the New Theatre in Cardiff my first instinct was to grab the board game and try to work out if, and how the game would transfer to the stage.
If you’ve never played the it before, which would be a little surprising as its been around since the 1940s, it’s a murder-mystery game for up to six players. The object is to figure out who murdered the game’s victim, where the crime took place, and which weapon was used.
Each player assumes the role of one of the six suspects and attempts to deduce the correct answer by strategically moving around the board representing the rooms of a mansion and collecting clues about the circumstances of the murder from the other players.
I’ve got to say, it is really good fun, which exactly describes CLUEDO on stage last night. It is a whodunnit, with all the brilliant elements you’d expect, but it’s also really funny, with more one-liners than I’d care to count.
It’s set in the 1940s, which is when the original game was released, and as we sat waiting for the show to begin, the lights dimmed and a voice boomed from a good-old fashioned wireless which we could see on stage I won’t spoil what was said, but the tone instantly transported us back to the days when rationing ruled the waves, and everyone dressed the part for a night out.
And then, one by one, we meet the six characters we know so well from the board game.
Star of the show is Miss Scarlett, played by TV favourite MICHELLE COLLINS. Another TV regular, DANIEL CASEY is Professor Plum. Miss White is played by ETISYAI PHILLIPS, WESLEY GRIFFITHS is Colonel Mustard, JUDITH AMSENGA is Mrs Peacock. TOM BABBAGE is Reverend Green, LAURA KIRMAN is Yvette, and we’ll come back to JEAN-LUKE WORRELL who is the trusty butler Wadsworth.
The ensemble are HARRY BRADLEY and MEG TRAVERS. LIAM HARRIGAN and GEORGIA BRADLEY are the show understudies.
There’s a few other things I want to mention before we talk about the cast and story.
The action all takes place in the Grand Entrance Hall, but the way it’s laid out we get to see into all the other rooms we’ve come to expect from the game; so yes, there’s the Lounge, the Library, the Billiard Room, and the rest. It’s a really clever use of the stage, giving the illusion of us being in a sprawling country manor.
And these rooms are important, as we visit each of them to try and solve the crime, the way it’s handled on stage is a little touch of genius by designer DAVID FARLEY.
Hold your horses – I said solve the crime, like we are all there to watch a serious Agatha Christie-esque story. Yes, it is a murder-mystery, and the perpetrator is revealed at the end. But be in no doubt this is a comedy, and although the clues are all there to solve the whodunnit, the action is so fast, and lines come at you at a rate of knots, that solving the crime occasionally becomes secondary.
Sitting in the bar during the interval however, there was much chatter between the audience as to who the murderer could be, and why they did it.
Before we go any further, let’s hear from some of the audience who were there on opening night, as well as their reaction, you’ll hear from Michelle Collins and the show Director Mark Bell…….
And that brings us to the cast. Lots were there to see Michelle, and were no doubt pleasantly surprised to see her away from the Cindy Beale Eastenders and Stella Price in Coronation Street roles.
She is Miss Scarlet through and through, classy and elegant, but never far away from a cheeky quip. She runs a Soho Escort Agency – so expect suggestive behaviour from our Miss S.
Michelle delivers the comic lines as snugly as her red dress fits her.
This is an ensemble piece, and a great team they are on stage. The movement between the characters is precise and smooth and keeps the action moving along at a fair old pace, ANNA HEALEY is the show’s Movement Director, and a great job she’s done. The script is one thing, but the choreography, if it’s fair to call it that, is really superb and cleverly worked out.
The show very much captures the spirit of the time it’s set, and feels nostalgic but fresh at the same time.
When our six characters arrive at a country house one dark and stormy evening, they find they have all received the same intriguing invitation from Lord Boddy. It soon becomes clear that they all have something to hide as the mystery and hysteria grows and the inhabitants and guests of Boddy Manor are killed off one by one, with a variety of familiar weapons, leaving us all to figure out ‘whodunnit’.
I was so pleased to see all the familiar tools of the murder trade were there, it wouldn’t be Cluedo without a candlestick, rope or gun.
Don’t expect the characters to go around bumping each other off, it would be a remarkably short play if that was the case. I certainly don’t want to give anything away, not that it would matter because I guessed completely wrong.
It’s fair to say that the staff at Boddy Manor are right at the heart of the story. Laura is great as the maid, with an (almost) well maintained ‘Allo Allo‘ type French accent, but I particularly want to mention Jean-Luke’s butler, Wadsworth. He is sly and creepy, and gave us more ham than I crammed into my lunchtime sandwich, and the audience absolutely loved him, especially as he makes the occasional discreet glance out to the auditorium.
His ‘summing up’ monologue is one of the stand-out moments of the whole show for me.
If you’re expecting a cast of stereotypical characters, jumping from one blunder to another, with murderously funny gags, then you won’t be disappointed. Cluedo has that by the bucket-load, and all of it intentional thanks to Director MARK BELL, who seems to revel in this type of theatre.
If we told you Mark is also responsible for The Play That Goes Wrong, you’ll know exactly what to expect with this production. He seems to delight in throwing his actors into proper organised mayhem, and we’ve got to say, he does it brilliantly.
CLUEDO is at the New Theatre in Cardiff till Saturday, and is a show suitable for everyone, There was a real cross section of ages in the audience, including an 8 year old lad in front of me who revelled in the fact he ‘worked it out’.
Performances are at 7:30pm with 2:30pm matinees on Thursday and Saturday. Tickets details are below, and you can get yours HERE.
Tickets:
Monday – Thursday 7.30pm £20.00 – £37.00
Friday – Saturday 7.30pm & Saturday 2.30pm £24.00 – £41.00
Thursday 2.30pm £16.00 – £31.00
Boxes (maximum of 6 people) From £116 – £181.00
Standard Reductions: £3.50 off Monday – Thursday 7.30pm
Over 60s: £24.00 each Thursday at 2.30pm
Friends of the Theatre: £4.00 off Monday – Wednesday 7.30pm
You can also take a look at our preview feature HERE.
And finally just as a little treat, here’s a few shot from the rehearsal room. When you’ve seen the show, you’ll have a greater appreciation as to the amount of work they all put in to make this a smooth and incredibly funny show.
