Review: CLUE at the Aronoff Center

The classic board game Clue has had a long history in its 75 years since it was first manufactured in 1949. But no adaptation of the game has ever quite hit the cultural world as hard as the 1985 movie Clue. Featuring an all-star cast, including Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, and Madeline Kahn, the film has been beloved for years by many. With its witty dialogue, political themes, and slapstick humor, the story holds up very well to this day. While many stage versions of Clue have different takes on the game’s premise, this particular adaptation by Sandy Rustin follows the movie closely.

A movie-to-stage transition is often difficult to pull off. In most cases it’s better to add original elements to make the stage play its own, rather than using the exact same lines and story from the film’s script. It can make the play feel derivative and superfluous, making the audience feel like they could have stayed home and watched the movie and feel the same effect. Some may also accuse these adaptations of pandering, using popular familiarity to appeal to the masses instead of challenging their perceptions on a long-released story. However, this play defies this logic, as the unique film provides a certain advantage in this situation. 

Because the film is set up to include many similar aspects to a play, such as a single setting, a concise cast, fast-paced dialogue that the story is built upon, and elevated comedy (both physically and verbally), the script and setting translated to the stage very naturally. And even though the script is very similar to the movie and features many of the same iconic lines (“Flames…on the side of my face…”), the actors’ deliveries make this production of Clue successful in its own right. They keep the same attitudes as their film counterparts, but they exaggerate the comedy even further to accommodate a large theatre and audience. It’s easy to see why this version of the play is already so popular amongst schools and local theatres, as it’s great for families, fun for the people involved for the show, and meets the middle ground of production accessibility (think props, themes, etc.) while also providing room for creativity in the direction and design.

As the final show of the 2023-24 season for Broadway in Cincinnati, audiences are already lauding the professional touring production of Clue that premiered earlier this year. Although it has yet to appear on Broadway, it still gives the same excitement and quality that is expected in the other tours hosted at the Aronoff Center. When the lights dimmed and the movie’s opening score began playing, there was already a heightened mood to give readiness to experience a fun, murder-mystery comedy play. For those unfamiliar with the story, Clue follows the six central characters from the board game as they’re gathered in an unfamiliar mansion for a party of sorts. The butler, Wadsworth, guides them through the evening, eventually announcing the reason for their gathering. Their official host Mr. Boddy arrives shortly after, and when a blackout murder occurs with motives and weapons attached to every guest, everyone scrambles around trying to solve the mystery of what happened before things escalate further.

Through every game and story however, the ending is always the most intriguing part to see how they wrap things up, as there are always so many possibilities. Without spoiling anything, the way the play did the conclusion was satisfying, leaving Clue off on a great note. This in addition to a fantastic cast who knew how to add their own strengths to their roles, a set with surprises in its design, and direction that knew how to transport the story to the stage, Clue is a solid comedy play that will fill anyone’s evening with laughter and joy.

Clue is currently being presented at the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati, Ohio through Sunday, May 19th. More information on the play can be found at clueliveonstage.com. Limited tickets remain available on cincinnatiarts.org or through the link below.

Photo Credit: Evan Zimmerman

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