Give us a Cluedo...

In terms of cult classics, Cluedo is up there, so attending an evening of whodunnit tomfoolery with all our favourite characters was an absolute must. With a script based on the board game and 1985 film, the iconic characters are all invited to a very unusual dinner party at Boddy Manor, where the body count soon begins to stack up. Honestly, you just can't take those colourful characters anywhere!

Playing up the absurdist comedy, the direction by George Buckland was very cleverly delivered. It's no mean feat creating a manor house with multiple rooms on a small stage. However, with some seamless set moving by cast, quick fire scenes reminiscent of a Scooby Doo chase, and a set that seemed to have a new door at every turn, the story unfolded with aplomb (or should I say Plum?).

Each character was so distinct, with some real laugh out loud moments, whether in climactic monologues (‘Feed my goldfish, Larry’), or in witty one liners and dramatic looks (‘He's dead.’ ‘You said that last time.’).

I don't have room to mention them all, but I particularly enjoyed H Connolly's bumbling Colonel Mustard, and Nick Saunders' wealth of facial expressions as Reverend Green. Hollie Genevieve also brought some subtle comedy throughout, while Pete Watt as the butler Wadsworth was able to expertly lead the suspects with quiet confidence.

The soup course gave us a distinct lesson in ASMR, and the evidence revealed at the end had the audience howling.

The production was evidently a team effort, and I have to say the set looked incredible, with slick lighting and sound throughout.

So, was it Miss Scarlett with the candlestick in the billiard room? Or Mrs White with the rope in the study?

Either way, The Compton Players delivered an evening of twists, turns, and a lot of laughter. What more could you want?

HOLLY LUCAS

Scenery/Set/Props: The set was impressive and representative of a Home Counties mansion. The wallpaper incorporated the colours of the characters and there was a realistic tiger’s head mounted on the wall. There were heavy looking double doors. The set was decorated with pictures, drinks trolley and various small items. The furniture was very elegant, tiny chaise longe and a chair. The dining table was a masterpiece of construction, folding out to enable the six diners to be seated. Crockery and glasses were fixed to the table to enable swift assembly and disassembly. The billiard table was also worth a mention. The props were excellent: rope, dagger, candlestick, revolver, spanner and a piece of lead piping.

Costumes: The costumes were excellent with each character immediately identified: Miss Scarlett in a bright red dress with accessories, Reverend Green with a touch of green and Professor Plum in a plum-coloured three-piece suit. Mrs White was the exception as she appeared dressed in black. There was good attention to detail, the butler’s waistcoat had six different coloured buttons, one for each of the guests. Mrs Peacock’s blue dress was stunning and topped off with sparkly bag, deep blue satin evening gloves (with feathers) and a headdress containing a peacock feather. There was a traditional black and white maid’s outfit for Yvette. I was impressed by the costumes which helped us immense ourselves in Post-war Britain.

Lighting and special effects. The lighting was excellent and used to emphasise specific moments, such as when characters appear to recognise one another. This was done in a comedic style with suspenseful music. Special effects were good and included a hound barking, and a rain with stormy weather.

The production: There was much to enjoy in this production. George Buckland did a great job in his first outing as Director. The result of which was a wonderfully exaggerated piece of theatre. The cast flourished as they brought out the idiosyncrasies of their characters including H Connolly as the lecherous Colonel Mustard and the nervous and rather obliging Reverend Green. Although this was a great piece of comedy, there was a genuine feeling of suspense as the action moved along and the bodies piled up. Pete Watt, as Wadsworth the butler, had the mammoth task of orchestrating the action and he did this confidently and efficiently. No murder mystery is complete without an ever-changing list of suspects, the use of distraction technique and a revolving door and/or secret passage. This production of Cluedo had it all (and more if you include the mid-play Conga!) and thanks to the sterling cast and the supporting production crew, this was a great way to spend an evening – full of light hearted fun and laughter.

This production is based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn, written by Sandy Rustin with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price. It is also based on the Paramount Pictures Motion Picture based on the Hasbro board game Cluedo with additional material by Mark Bell. The well-known characters: Professor Plum, Miss Scarlett, Mrs Peacock, Reverend Green, Mrs White and Colonel Mustard, are summoned, by a mysterious letter, to Boddy Manor. They are all being blackmailed. Bodies pile up, there’s slapstick, suspense and a lot of laughs padding out a wafer-thin plot!

CHRIS HORTON

Having never played, nor seen Cluedo, I didn’t quite know what to expect. However, George Buckland cleverly directed this farcical mayhem, which was skilfully delivered by an enthusiastic cast, with nobody being who they were made out to be.

The open set was very impressive with its many doors, which were well used.

The introductions of the guests made by Wadsworth were informative and kicked off the play to a cracking start.

Wadsworth (Pete Watt), the butler was very efficient and well-cast, who acted as Master of Ceremonies throughout. The Cook, (Ann Griffiths) had great comedy timing and it was a pity we didn’t see more of her. Yvette, the Maid (Hollie Genevieve) was integral to the plot and was very efficient in her dealings with the furnishings and other ‘maidly’ duties. Colonel Mustard, (H Connolly) was the typical bumbling military officer, with brilliant accompanying business, in character at all times he was on stage, whether he was at the heart of the action or not. Mrs Peacock (Lyn Buckland) was fluttery, but came into her own during the reveal, as did the other characters. Miss Scarlett (Caroline Edwards) was very aloof and convincing as the upper class ‘Madam’. Professor Plum (Helen Saxton) was a surprise, but superbly cast and very believable. Rev Green (Nick Saunders) gave a very understated performance to start with, but the transformation at the end was incredible. I will never look at Rev Green in the same way again!

Mrs White (Ruth Burton) was very shy and retiring, but with a confident twist at the end. Her broad Scottish accent, however, meant that some of her dialogue was lost. The Motorist (Alan Johnson) was a lovely cameo part, albeit short-lived. The Policeman (Robin Hawkins) was very good and solid, with many comic moments. Mr Boddy (Mark Havers) was very believable, albeit again briefly, as was his portrayal of the Inspector. We appreciated the disembodied voice of Clement Atlee as spoken by Eric Saxton.

The reveal of the characters was well handled and the entire cast was well orchestrated by Wadsworth (or Boddy?) amidst all the pandemonium.

The whole play had good pace throughout. The use and concealment of furniture was well handled, as was the masking of the bodies as they were removed from stage.

The music was very atmospheric and the sound effects and lighting were brilliantly coordinated, making this an outstanding production in Compton’s repertoire.

Well done to everyone.

NIGEL JAMES