Clue, from Lyric Rose Theater Company, is a slapstick murder mystery packed with twists, burlesque and dark humor. Based on the cult 1985 film by Jonathan Lynn, the show is based on the Hasbro board game Clue and adds Hunter Foster, Sandy Rustin and Eric Price footage.
The classic board game comes back to life in 1954’s “Clue,” which is full of references to McCarthyism. Six guests are invited by unsigned letters to a dinner at a remote mansion hosted by an anonymous host. Everyone hides something sinister, which is why they were invited to the dinner party. They are given aliases – Colonel Mustard (Brendan Johnson), Mrs White (Kate Height), Mr Green (Cameron Cash), Mrs Peacock (Maryne Jeffrey), Professor Plum (John Watson) and Miss Scarlett (Alyssa Spencer).
While refraining from revealing personal details, it soon becomes apparent that all the guests are victims of the same blackmailer – their host, Mr. Bodie (Elan Hollingsworth). Each guest is given a weapon (yes, a knife, rope, candlestick, wrench, revolver, and lead pipe from the Clue game) and a choice: either pay the extortionist double, or kill the innocent Butler’s butler Wadsworth (Corey Holden). What follows is a wild, slapstick night of murder, mystery and laughs as the group tries to find the culprit among them.
The rest of the cast includes Tina Marie Kelley as the maid Yvette; Kassidy Kelly as the cook; and Micah Cone as the police officer. Notable is Corey Holden’s performance as Wadsworth; he moves from meddling to terrified with ease, and his extended “behaviour” at the end of the play is both deft and hilarious.
Viewers follow this motley crew through corridors, libraries, study rooms, underpasses and more as they learn the ins and outs of the mystery, utilizing moving walls ingeniously designed by David Endacott-Hicks Visually interesting and intricate sets made of components and components. Costume designer Marci Wolfe adorned the actors in charming period costumes that perfectly interpreted each character. Casey Burke’s lighting design proves successful when it comes to isolating key plot moments amid the chaos or providing eerie shadows for a dreaded night.
Under the deft direction of David Endacott-Hicks and assistant director Kimberly Clouse, actors portray them in exaggerated, stylized movements and speech , which fits with the fact that the show (and movie) was originally adapted from a game. Much of the action is in sync, well done and adding to the campy flavor of the production. The direction is fast-paced, which means you have to pay close attention to enjoying the one-liners, or they’re easy to miss. Occasionally, music plays after dialogue, making some lines hard to hear — hopefully remedied later in the performance.
Even if you don’t know anything about Clue games, this show will keep you entertained for a night of fun. But if you’ve played the game before, it’s a fun and nostalgic trip. “Clue” runs only until June 18 at the Nevada Theater, so get your tickets soon.
