I have a confession to make. I have never played the board game Cluedo. Crazy right? The only game I think I’ve played from the famed Parker Bros. is Monopoly. So, when I heard of a new stage production hitting Melbourne that dived into the world of Cluedo, I was curious to see how a board game would translate to the stage.
Written by Sandy Rustin and based on the 1985 Paramount Pictures film and screenplay by Johnathan Lynn, Cluedo is a classic whodunnit play with a comedy spin, which opened at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre on Tuesday the 10th of February.
Set at Boddy Manor, a series of guests have been invited to a special dinner. Greeted by the house butler, Wadsworth (Grant Piro), and with the assistance of maid Yvette (Lib Campbell) each guest is ushered into the lounge. We have Professor Plum (David James), Miss Scarlett (Olivia Deeble), Reverend Green (Laurence Boxhall), Mrs. White (Rachael Beck), Mrs. Peacock (Genevieve Lemon) and of course, Colonel Mustard (Adam Murphy). Rounding out the stellar cast is Octavia Barron-Martin as the Cook, Nat Jobe as Bobby the Police Officer, and Joshua Monaghan as Mr. Boddy.
The six guests have been invited to dinner; however, they are in attendance under synonyms, hiding their real identities. It doesn’t take long for their casual conversation to connect each of the guests to one another and they each grow more curious as to why they have been invited.
Soon enough, it is revealed why Mr. Boddy has brought them all together. His reason brings his life to an untimely end and his death provokes an investigation. Whodunnit, with what weapon, and where in the Manor did the murder take place.
The cast of Cluedo are all fantastic. Each with their own quirky characters and moments to shine. Adam Murphy as Colonel Mustard is a classic old timer with a staunch military persona, but one that is also quite dim. At times, responding to dialogue with the most outlandish and irrelevant response making for some hilarious moments.
Genevieve Lemon is brilliant as Mrs. Peacock, the wife of a Westminster Senator who’s also a little batty. Rachael Beck as the morbid Mrs. White whose had multiple husbands which leads to some hilarious one liners about their untimely ends. Beck has some of the most hilarious moments of the whole play.
David James as Professor Plum is cheeky and mischievous with a dry and humorous delivery. Olivia Deeble as madame Miss Scarlett is sassy and sexy, bringing an elegant allure to her character. Lib Campbell as Yvette is cute and hilarious, putting on a sexy ‘French maid’ persona that is clearly not French at all. Octavia Barron-Martin as the Cook brings a brilliant physicality to her comedic role and smashes it as a surprise character in the third act. Joshua Monaghan and Nat Jobe are both brilliant in their roles of Mr. Boddy and Office Bobby respectively. Jobe also duals as the Movement Captain for the cast.
Rounding out the cast is Laurence Boxhall as Reverend Green, and Grant Piro as Wadsworth. Boxhall is wonderful as the squeamish and unconventional holy character. Piro is perfectly cast as Wadsworth, the pseudo main character of the production, and is an absolute showstopper and a master of physical comedy. The narrative role and eccentric portrayal of the butler is sidesplittingly hilarious. A definite stand out of the entire cast.
The cast wouldn’t be as brilliant as they collectively are without the incredible direction from Luke Joslin. Combined with Movement Director, Danielle Evrat, the stunning lighting design from Jasmine Rizk and sound from Sean Peter, Cluedo is a joy to watch.
But the biggest stand out of this whole production is the incredible set and costume design from James Browne. The costuming is outstanding, and each character’s costume is perfectly aligned with their character and the personas they each have. But what really blew me away was the modular set. Initially shown as a large hall, flanked by three doors on either side of the stage, the space feels grand. But, as the plot takes us to different locations within the manor, each door slides out, revealing an intricately detailed and well-dressed space depicting each of the famous locations from the board game. Easily one of the best set designs I’ve seen on stage.
I have seen my fair share of whodunnit theatrical productions, but nothing as hilariously funny as Cluedo. It really does live up to the subtitle of ‘The Hilarious Whodunnit Play’. Right from the start, the laughter flowed and didn’t stop until curtain call. My face was hurting from the smiles and laughter for the entire 80 minutes. And even though I have never played the game, my affinity for live theatre, mystery and comedy was all I needed to enjoy this production. If you like a classic whodunnit narrative, Cluedo is the perfect play for you.
Proudly presented by John Frost for Crossroads Live, Cluedo the Hilarious Whodunnit Play is on now at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre until March 15th, 2025.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://cluedoplay.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/cluedotheplay
Photography by Grant Alexander.
