A board-game classic, at the Comedy Theatre, with a serving of slapstick

THEATRE
Cluedo ★★★
Comedy Theatre, until March 15

Every generation from the Boomers down knows Cluedo. Editions of the game have been around since 1949, and kids tend to learn what a murder mystery is by playing it – well before they’re introduced to Agatha Christie.

Childhood nostalgia for the franchise undergirds this commercial comedy. It adapts Jonathan Lynn’s 1985 film Clue (a box office flop that developed a cult following) and a talented cast embraces the zaniness of a show that’s feather-light on suspense and plot but slathered with mildly diverting drollery.

Six usual suspects are invited to an English country house under the assumed names of characters from the game – Professor Plum (David James), Miss Scarlett (Olivia Deeble), Mrs Peacock (Genevieve Lemon), Colonel Mustard (Adam Murphy), Mrs White (Rachael Beck) and Reverend Green (Laurence Boxhall).

They’re greeted by the butler Wadsworth (Grant Piro), French maid Yvette (Lib Campbell), and a dour knife-wielding Cook (Octavia Barron-Martin). When their elusive host Mr Boddy (Joshua Monaghan) does appear, it’s only for long enough to reveal sinister designs before adding to the body count.

What follows is a chaotic hunt for the killer(s) that gets serially interrupted by yet more potential victims, and features a blend of ridiculous sight gags, exaggerated caricature, inane banter and comforting in-jokes, and tightly choreographed physical humour with strong elements of revolving-door farce.

Each actor confects moments in the spotlight. They all have fun playing with genre stereotype, though it’s Piro’s butler who acts as a kind of emcee and gives the most versatile (and ludicrous) performance, with Boxhall’s neurotic, jelly-limbed slapstick not far behind.

Production values are high, the set and costume design on par with the style of murder mystery theatre – think The Mousetrap – that Cluedo merrily lampoons.

I’d like to see a push towards more diverse casting in shows of this ilk. The play’s nominal setting in 1940s England hardly calls for historical accuracy or naturalism when it’s based on a game played by everyone, and the familiarity Cluedo trades on might have even broader appeal if it better reflected contemporary Australian audiences.

That said, Cluedo isn’t envelope-pushing stuff. Nor is it “a killer night out” as billboards claim. No, it’s undemanding comedy – a cosy, well-turned commercial entertainment that doesn’t outstay its welcome.
Reviewed by Cameron Woodhead

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