The nostalgic characters of everyone’s favourite mudder mystery Cluedo return to the stage with their hilariously silly sequel – Cluedo 2 The Next Chapter.
Written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, Cluedo 2 sets the stage of the next whodunnit in rockstar extraordinaire Rick Blacks mansion house. As everything begins to unravel, the absurd and ridiculous story begins to crumble around the forsaken cast of suspects.
The writing was exactly what the play needed. A story like this needs to be silly, filled with stupid gags, word play and overdramatic reveals. Marks and Gran hit this nail on the head. The story itself had a lot of twists and turns which was good to keep the audience guessing, as well as some very nice call backs to the original board game. Overall, excellently scripted.
Mark Bell’s directing was also spot on. The scooby doo style blocking during the transitions was aesthetically pleasing but also just fun and a clever way to transition rooms without using blackouts or losing the pace and flow of the show. The set – designed by David Farley – was utilised very well in the directing and felt very immersive. The set itself looked great, some room designs were very detailed like the library and main hall and other’s quite simplistic like the lounge and studio but each room felt like it had exactly what it needed to convey the location but also lend to the action.
Lighting – by Jason Taylor – and sound – by Jon Fiber – were both executed nicely throughout the show. The moody lighting in specific scenes/rooms created a great atmosphere. One slip up during the opening scene where a light never came on in time (this could have been on purpose but contextually felt like a delay) however the overall execution and atmospheric value of the light and sound were good.
Jason Durr – who played Colonel Mustard – portrayed the Colonel perfectly. The over exaggerated, gun slinging cowboy persona brought the character to life and brought every scene an immense energy. Durr committed fully to the overdramatic character and this lended itself perfectly to the silly nature of the story and characters. The thick accent lost some dialogue at times due to the diction, mainly when speaking quickly, however the physicality and comedy delivered meant the audience weren’t too focused on what was being said.
Ellie Leach – who played Miss Scarlett – was excellent in the role of the dominant interior designer. Leach had a great energy, subtle but powerful and she had a great character built for Miss Scarlett with a great arc filled with twists and turns. Leach showcased a great array of skill during the role.
Jack Bennet – who played the actor who was playing a butler who was definitely not a butler, Wodsworth – gave the performance such a boost of energy any time he entered the stage. Bennet fully committed to the absurdly over emphasised characteristics of Wodsworth and the character benefited fully from this, having the audience laughing all night long with his outrageous antics.
Hannah Boyce – who played Mrs Peacock – had a great presence on stage. She held herself with such poise and gave the character this very elegant yet conniving demeanour which suited the role perfectly. Boyce showcased some great physical comedy and had the audience buckled with the reveal of being a born and raised weegie. Then Boyce was able to show her vocal ability by switching accents from posh, upper class English to a Garage loyal Glaswegian accent. Boyce was definitely a fan favourite with the Glasgow audience.
Dawn Auckland – who played Mrs White – became from the opening scene the MVP of the show. The cook who can literally pop out of any nook and cranny of the stage had the viewer scanning the stage awaiting her entrance. Boyce built a great character, bringing her to life with some excellent physicality and quirks that made the character stand out amongst the chaos.
Liam Horrigan – who played Mr Black – left a great impression on the audience even though Mr Black was dead for the majority of the story. Horrigan’s persona for Mr Black had an essence of Russell Brand, both visually and characteristic wise and this was a great character choice for the persona as the distinct voice, mannerisms and appearance were hilarious and also allowed the other characters to imitate and use later down the story.
Edward Howells – who played Professor Plum – gave a great performance. It felt like the character came more to life as the show went on which allowed the audience to become invested by the end of the performance. Howells had a great and memorable look as Plum and the northern accent stood the character out slightly and lended to some great comedic moments. As the show went on, Howells energy grew with the story which was great to see.
Gabriel Paul – who played Reverend Green – had a great showing with this role. Paul had a good chemistry with the other actors on stage and this showed with the quick back and forths and the energy shown whilst bouncing off each other.
The beginning of the performance felt slightly off, everything seemed a little fast and clunky for the opening 5-10 minutes. This could easily be down to it being opening night, possibly some first night nerves, or just simply some polish is needed so the vast and production crew can find their feet from the opening whistle. However, as the show progressed, the story began to flow and each individual found their momentum leading into the interval. And once the curtain lifted for the 2nd act, it felt almost like a completely different show. Everyone and everything was on point, allowing the cast to flourish and give the audience a hilariously silly evening.
In conclusion, a somewhat shaky start became a thing of the past once everyone found their rhythm and this made for a great arc in the show. This production has some really great potential and as the run continues, the confidence and execution will build, giving audiences a murder mystery to remember.
Get your tickets @ https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/cluedo-2-the-next-chapter/theatre-royal-glasgow/
📸 – Alastair Muir
Theatre Scotland 
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