photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
CLUE at the Ohio Theatre
From April 10-14, the Ohio Theatre is treating guests to the increasingly popular murder-mystery-parody Clue: On Stage. The production plays out similarly to a typical whodunit, with plenty of bodies in cupboards and short-sighted finger-pointing.
What makes the stage production of Clue worthwhile is its self-consciousness, as it pokes fun at just about every convention of the genre. This play is keenly aware of how played-out characters like “the colonel,” “the butler” and “the maid” are, and it makes the most out of these archetypes.
Concepts from the board game are present throughout the play, with characters often poking fun at its core elements – “How am I supposed to kill anyone with a candlestick?” The participants, from Colonel Mustard to Mrs. Peacock, are played exactly as you’d expect, which fans of the board game may find unremarkable, but satisfying. Moments when suspects cross paths and build suspicion are played up in comically dramatic ways, another clever easter egg for fans of the Parker Brothers’ classic.
With performers leaning heavily into the caricatures written in the Clue script, the show maintains a high level of energy throughout its brief runtime. Less than an hour and a half with no intermission, once the first “Boddy” drops, the show only picks up steam.
The play feels much like an episode of Scooby Doo: Where Are You?, from the lightning strikes synced up with dramatic moments to the goofy running-through-doors gag that grow increasingly funny and charming as the audience gets to know the characters.
photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
CLUE at the Ohio Theatre
Repeated bits are not uncommon in Clue, and the cast makes up a large enough party to keep repeated jokes fresh enough throughout to mitigate eye-roll-inducing repetition. As the audience gets to know the dinner party attendees better, the clashes of personalities and backgrounds create plenty of opportunities for satisfying punchlines.
Certain characters are much more memorable than others. About an hour in, the butler, Wadsworth, (Mark Price) had broken a sweat from carrying the narrative up to that point. His endurance as a vehicle for the plot and as the star of the show was laudable, and Price was rewarded with a monologue in the climax that he navigated perfectly. By the end of his big scene, the audience was roaring with laughter, and the show paused to accommodate the raucous applause.
The set and score created an enjoyable, cheesy-in-a-good-way ambiance to the play. Transitions from room to room were cleverly staged with rotating entryways and suspense was often heightened by the dramatic irony that ran through the play.
The narrative and presentation are far from new, but comedic timing, eclectic performances and genre-focused meta-humor make Clue: On Stage worthwhile for a quick night at the theater filled with simple laughs. It is best for a fan of classic murder mysteries who are seeking a light-hearted twist on their favorite board game.
Tyler Kirkendall is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at tkirkendall@cityscenemediagroup.com.
