You’ve probably played the game more times than you choose to remember, and know all those characters like members of your own family. Now, in a truly hilarious new stage play, the gory murders of Cluedo are once again making the audience ask that age old questions of ‘whodunnit?’ ‘where?’ and ‘With what weapon?’ It’s all rollicking good fun, played almost like the worst amateur dramatics production you have ever seen, with a cast who are hamming for all they are worth, and I for one absolutely loved it!

Six guests are invited to attend a dinner at Boddy Manor on a dark and stormy night. Each has received a strange letter, and are unknown to each other, but all are being blackmailed by the host Lord Boddy, a man who knows where all the bodies are buried, so to speak. On arrival they are greeted by the butler, Wadsworth, an excitable, slightly sinister character, and eventually get to meet their hosts, who says he will rise the cost of his blackmail unless they kill Wadsworth. Each is given a weapon…and then the lights go out. When they come on again, there is a body. A murder has been committed, but by whom?

The cast are uniformly glorious. Wadsworth, as played by Jean-Luke Worrell, has it all, he gives a wonderfully energetic, effervescent performance that is acrobatic, over the top and so, so funny. The board game characters, Miss Scarlett (Michelle Collins), Professor Plum (Daniel Casey), Wesley Griffin (Colonel Mustard), Etisyai Philip (Mrs White), Judith Amsenga (Mrs Peacock) and Tom Babbage (Reverend Green) are uniformly excellent. All are funny, perfectly casted for the sort of slapstick comedy that the play is full of, and totally having the best time, which is infectious, and the fact that they manage to do all this with a straight face needs applauding in itself. It is hard to pick a standout but I loved Wesley Griffin’s utterly stupid Colonel Mustard. Mention must also be given to Laura Kirman as Yvette, and Harry Bradley as the ensemble male characters, including a policeman with a rather problematic mustache. Both Harry and Laura are excellent, adding the to already hilarious proceedings.

The clever set which reveals the many rooms of Boddy Manor, and the use of hammy stage effects like the ever louder cracks of thunder just add to the atmosphere of the proceedings as a totally knowing farce. The action moves at a frenetic pace and with the ever increasing body count, the fun just never lets up. You’ll probably guess the killer before the crazy ending, but you’ll be laughing too much at the funniest death scene you will ever see to care.

Cluedo is a fantastically funny romp. Go see.

Cluedo

The Alexandra, Birmingham

click here for ticket information

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