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Last Night (6/3/24), I had the pleasure of being invited to attend the Press Night of ‘Cluedo 2’ at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking. It was a lovely reception - aptly decorated with crime scene tape and body outlines..
Cluedo 2, is a comedy ‘whodunit’ featuring the well-known and well loved characters of the ‘Cluedo’ board games. It is a hilarious piece of theatre featuring characters including, but not limited to ‘Colonel Mustard’, ‘Miss Scarlet’ and ‘Mrs Peacock’. Set in a country manor house in 1968…anything could happen - even a murder!
The show is beautifully designed with a simple yet effective set, by David Farley. Many of the scene changes are done onstage in-front of the audience, masked by a comedy scene with the performers walking throughout the manor house. It gives energy and laughs even in the moments with no dialogue - showing physical comedy at it’s finest and showing that ‘Cluedo 2’ really is a Comedy just as much as a ‘Whodunit’!
The script, written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran is a brilliantly written and greatly funny piece of writing, with plenty of witty lines, and hilarious twists. The ending of the show truly shocked me (about 5 times in a row!) Just when you think they are done, they keep coming back with another dramatic turn. Marks and Gran are genius comedy writers and deserve to be recognised as such!
In terms of cast performances, it is particularly difficult to choose just a number of standouts as this piece is very ensemble heavy - with each and every performer giving their absolute all - and it totally pays off.
Jason Durr brings the role of Colonel Mustard to life, with a larger than life character and brilliant comedy all whilst keeping a southern american accent!
Strictly come dancing winner Ellie Leach makes her stage debut as ‘Miss Scarlett’. Leach is a natural and gives a dramatic, exciting and brilliant performance. I look forward to seeing Eliie Leach in more stage roles in the future!
Dawn Buckland was outstanding as the mysterious Mrs White, bringing impeccable comedic timing and a masterful performance. Buckland’s performance is just fantastic and this role perfectly displays her talent.
Another standout for me was Jack Bennett as Wadsworth. Bennett keeps the energy of the play high from the very beginning with his over the top character, he kept the laughs coming until the audience were in stitches and that is no exaggeration.
The entire cast were wonderful in their respective roles, and each one would be a standout - if I had all day to sit and write about it, and you had all day to listen - but instead of doing that.. You could take my word for it and go and see the play for yourselves.
‘Cluedo 2’ is perfect for you if you are a fan of a murder mystery / whodunit, which also features a great deal of comedy throughout. I find that it doesn’t matter how familiar you are with the ‘Cluedo’ board games, but a general understanding of who the characters are may help… but overall it is just an easily watchable, enjoyable piece of fantastic theatre, which is terrifically performed by a bunch of incredibly talented performers.
You can catch ‘Cluedo 2’ at the New Victoria Theatre Woking before the end of the week…
Or see where else it is heading on tour, all details will be found here: https://www.cluedostageplay.com/
7th March 2024
Robbie Davies | Robbie’s Backstage Bants
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