Review: CLUEDO, Richmond Theatre

Was it Professor Plum in the library with the dagger? To many of us, the board game Cluedo is a family staple, but director Mark Bell's play takes more of its influence from the 1985 American film Clue. The play retains the characters, weapons and location of a spooky manor house and turn it into a pacey farce that both amuses and frustrates.

On a stormy night in 1949, six characters arrive at Boddy Manor, invited by the mysterious Mr Boddy. Each character is given an alias and told not to reveal who they really are. Each is also given a potential murder weapon. As the night progresses, the secrets and potential motives for murder of each character are revealed, as the body count rapidly mounts.

This is a real ensemble piece. Eastender's stalwart Michelle Collins is Miss Scarlet, who happens to run a Soho escort agency. She tries to be suggestive with her lines, but is given little to do.

Wesley Griffith is a hapless Colonel Mustard and Judith Amsenga is a forthright and increasingly inebriated Mrs Peacock. Tom Babbage, as a nervous Reverend Green, also gives a good performance of pure slapstick.

The domestic staff are placed at the centre of the story, with Laura Kirman as maid Yvette and Jean-Luke Worrell's brilliantly creepy butler Wadsworth. Both are very funny; Kirman as she tries to maintain her French accent and Worrell as he hams up his unsettling character. He also exploits the ludicrous situations with witty asides and direct glances at the audience.

Having directed the hilarious The Play That Goes Wrong, director Mark Bell has form with this type of production. The production often feels chaotic, but it is carefully designed to bring out the comedic value of mishap and mayhem. Anna Healey's movement direction works well, as there are a lot of actors doing lots of different things at the same time, but the second half wastes far too much time with characters simply running around the stage, slamming various doors.

The play is moved to 1949, the year the board game was released, with references to the Lynskey scandal where a peer who had been investigating corruption around rationing was found to have been involved in sleaze himself. Unless you have detailed knowledge of British political history, or buy a programme, this particular reference is likely to go over your head.

Not that it matters, as the increasingly manic production relies less on its plot and more on its potential to entertain and amuse. The silliness is light-hearted and is well aware of its own absurdity, but the script could be sharper, with some jokes falling flat. Considering the tight quality of many of Bell's other productions, it is frustrating that there aren't more standout moments.

David Farley's set design is excellent, having to follow the action as the cast caper through various rooms of Boddy Manor. A main entrance hall has seven doors, which cleverly open to reveal other rooms, complete with concealed doorways and secret passageways.

Ultimately frivolous and unlikely to leave a lasting impression, but this production is a fun and light-hearted farce, which is what many of us want right now.

Cluedo is at Richmond Theatre until 12 March, then touring until 30 July

Photo Credit: Craig Sugden