7 September 2024 I 19:30 I Leeds Playhouse - Quarry Theatre
⭐
Director Mark Bell returns with Cluedo 2, reviving the spangled whodunnit series following a previous tour, now presented with an original narrative and staging. Having seen the first instalment in 2022, I found Cluedo to be hysterically funny, leaving me teary-eyed with laughter. Yet walking out of Cluedo 2, I am devastated at the miscarriage of material despite being under the same direction. A distinct lack of a professional and consistent vision prevents the play from succeeding, failing to invite any anticipation or dramatic action.
Where the original stage play was heavily influenced by the 1980s film Clue, this sequel oversees original writing from Maurice Gran & Laurence Marks. Faded music legend Rick Black is desperate to revive his music career as he returns to the industry in Gravely Manor. Though discovered dead, an entrepreneur with a chequered past prompts many visitors to seek their claim on his inheritance, no matter the cost.
This performance appears to have a significantly decreased working budget in relation to the first. This isn't a factor toward making successful theatre, but knowing how to utilise it best is. Transitionally, the show is very flawed, as the suspects race between rooms in unusual methods by exchanging set pieces. It is clear that a lot of time has been incorporated into these, but with only 100 minutes on the stage, a repetitive notion cannot interest audiences. As with any murder mystery (albeit a more playful incarnation), we crave the suspense, to join in with solving the case. Unfortunately so much time feels wasted under movement sequences. Hannah Boyce (Mrs Peacock) can walk on the spot in a surprisingly amusing fashion, though it cannot maintain the excitement the third or fourth time around.
The humour is difficult to enjoy, often transpiring to cringe-worthy and samey gags that you want to end. I would suggest (judging by tonight's audience) that this can be a comedy greatly accessible for children, with nonsensical, unpolished scripting leading the show. However, the family appeal dissolves through extensive Al Green jokes that satirize character Hal Green. Personally, I am not aware of Al Green as a cultural figure, also to be expected for those younger than myself. Thus when these puns are really laboured, the broad target audience feels too divided.
I find Jason Durr's Colonel Mustard and Dawn Buckland's Mrs White to be enjoyable amidst the chaos, committing to heightened characters sustained through the production to upkeep the energy. I rarely take note of acting specifics, however Cluedo 2 feels misaligned. Every performer is at a different level of dramatization, causing a poorly conducted vision that doesn't understand it's style. With a farcical script, expression needs to be ridiculous. Contrasting levels result in a melodrama that cannot land, the tone becoming awkward.
Through my time writing for Jackstage, I haven't previously given a show a one-star rating, proving to be challenging yet necessary for a poorly communicated concept. Gran and Marks' writing is exhaustive, under the guise of feeling rushed. Equally, it can limit the actor, with blocking to be extremely static. I entered Leeds Playhouse desperate to enjoy the evening, but even final 'twists' feel bewildering at best, with surprise after surprise losing impact and becoming unfathomable.
With Cluedo being one of my favourite stage comedies, it is incredibly unexpected for me to publish this review for Cluedo 2. Sometimes, the audience reaction feels delicately positive, and sometimes it is clear that humour isn't being received as intended. Originally based on the Hasbro whodunnit board game, the stage play enters it's final months on tour, and it might prove a gamble should you wish to attend.
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