Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, review: Cluedo

Cluedo, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, to March 19.

Review by Heidi Barber.

Billed as the ultimate whodunnit, Cluedo certainly keeps the audience guessing right up to the final scene where we eventually find out who committed the numerous murders taking place in the eerie and aptly named Boddy Manor.

The play mostly unfolds in the central hallway of the ingenious set which consists of seven doors leading to those familiar rooms so well known to the players of the famous boardgame. There is even a secret passage from the conservatory to the lounge and the use of the space, with the actors themselves as stagehands, gives the show a sense of organised chaos which works perfectly with the narrative.

First on the scene as the play opens is Colonel Mustard (Wesley Griffith) promptly followed by the ensemble of colourful characters including the femme fatale lead, Miss Scarlett (Michelle Collins). It’s only a matter of time before someone is murdered - in the dark of course - and the ensuing search for the killer leads to frivolity and more unexplained deaths, with the action overseen by the unsettling butler Wadsworth played brilliantly by Jean-Luke Worrell. His monologue in the final act is a sight to behold. 

The clever script fizzes along, at times paying homage to some great movies, from Gone with the Wind to Reservoir Dogs. With more laughs than murders, this whodunnit is a wonderful tribute to the classic game which is still as popular today as it was when it was launched 70 years ago.

Tickets: belgrade.co.uk