Cluedo 2 – The Next Chapter, playing at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley until 14th September, is an immersive mystery experience. The show successfully brings to life the characters from the famous board game. It does so with a brand-new storyline, by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, and direction by Mark Bell, built on the foundations laid seventy-five years ago by a husband and wife over a kitchen table during World War Two.
The longevity of this ‘whodunnit’ lies in its apparent simplicity. Six main characters, nine rooms, and six potential murder weapons. Rope? Spanner? Lead-pipe? Candlestick? Dagger? Revolver? Players (and audience) use the process of elimination to solve the murder of Mr Black (Liam Horrigan), now a rock star in the Ozzy Osbourne vein whose career is on the rocks, pinning his hopes for a resurgence on his latest track. Characters from the board game gather in Mr Black’s mysterious Tudor Mansion, in the year 1968.
As the plot unfolds, each actor reveals his or her character, some to better effect than others. But on the whole, this is an energetic and talented cast: manor-owning Mr Black; Mrs Peacock (Hannah Boyce), his gold-digging and adulterous wife; Colonel Mustard (Jason Durr, sporting a memorable moustache), Mr Black’s scheming manager; Miss Scarlett (Ellie Leach), a sexy interior designer; the Reverend Green (Gabriel Paul), Black’s former writing partner; and Professor Plum (Edward Howells), Mrs Peacocks secret play-thing… well, to be honest, we weren’t too sure about his exact role. Plus, Mrs White (Dawn Buckland), who has an attentive ear to every wall and secret passageway, popping up at random moments with her laugh-out-loud one-liners, and cooking for the guests during their ill-fated stay. Zeenat especially loved her character and that of Miss Scarlett. The cast is completed by Wadsworth (Jack Bennett), the hilarious butler. He stresses repeatedly to Mrs Peacock and the briefly appearing PC Silver (played by understudy Henry Lawes) that he is, really, an actor working as a butler.
Each character is more or less deliberately overplayed, creating appropriately two-dimensional caricatures. The script makes frequent references to the classic lines from the game, for example, the hunt for ‘murderer, weapon, and room’.
Visually, the show is distinctly attractive. The costumes are bright and cheerful, matching the characters’ names without giving the impression that they are in fancy dress. A giant Cluedo board is the main backdrop, cleverly illuminated to show where the action takes place. The scenery, furniture, and props for each room are wonderful. Zeenat felt that there is at times far too much stage and prop movement going on, distracting the audience too far from the storyline, whereas Jacqui thought that rather enhanced the performance. That said, there is a convincing impression of the characters moving through numerous rooms and portrait-hung corridors. There is, as well, a welcome sense of playfulness. The sharpest, most successful visuals come as the characters pop their heads out in concert, offering synchronised movements, and freeze-frames. While Sixties music and snippets of dance add extra life to the proceedings.
If you are looking to be transported to a night of Mystery and Murder transformed from a 2-D board game to a live, 3-D entertainment, why not take a careful walk through The Tudor mansion? Jacqui concluded that this camp, fun romp is well worth a visit, and as with the source game, working out who did what and where is indeed a challenge. That was already clear at the break, when the audience buzz of observations and guesswork was prolonged.
Tickets here.
Zeenat Noorani and Jacqui Weale, 11 September 2024
Bromley Buzz 