Cluedo

I’ve not seen this rather clever comedy ‘whodunit’ by Sandy Rustin based on the well-known Hasbro board game before. What a great piece of theatre it makes and what a thoroughly enjoyable evening in the hands of St Ives Youth Theatre under the direction of Orla Hilton and Sophie Rogers.

The plot set in 1949 is based around six dinner guests invited to Boddy Manor who are being blackmailed by a man with the pseudonym of Mr Boddy; are then each given a Cluedo board game pseudonym and handed one of the infamous Cluedo murder weapons. But after Mr Boddy’s sudden death, the tensions and paranoia dramatically increase as the dinner guests split up to search the Manor for the killer with the body count continuing to rise.

The show was in the large upper room in the rather architecturally splendid Free Church in St Ives, with a low stage built at one end consisting of a fixed rear straight wall of painted flats giving a very upmarket brown wood panelling effect, suitable for any ancestral home. This served as the entrance hall and study on the Cluedo board and was initially dressed with a hatstand and a table with a 1940’s period appropriate radio. To stage right was a brown painted door and matching painted wall into which was another hidden entrance within the panelling. To stage left was a similar, but panelled patterned wall in brown with a door. To the front of the stage at auditorium level were two reversible 8’ by 4’ trucks positioned either side of the stage. Stage left was wallpapered as a very passable library. Stage right was painted pale blue with a white framed window frame in the centre. This cleverly but economically built set, built by Andy Davis, Brett Golding, Will Golding and Tom Stewart, using all recycled materials, served as all the rooms on a Cluedo board.

Lighting by Will Golding was essential to the plot with lots of well-timed and very well-executed blackouts as we moved from room to room and the bodies piled up.  Sound by Sophie Rogers added the sound effects, but comedically slightly off when it came to the gun shots; deliberate or accidental, it all added to the fun.

Costumes by Liz Davis, Sarah Johnston, Marina Hilton and Susie Crago, reflected the characters with yellow trousers for Colonel Mustard, purple bow tie for Professor Plum, an emerald bow tie for Reverend Green, a bright turquoise dress for Mrs Peacock, bright red for Miss Scarlet. Mrs White wore black and accented with white gloves. The staff and police were also kitted out with the appropriate attire. A special mention to the Butler Wadsworth who wore the most splendid butler’s evening wear.

The glue which held this show together was the excellent performance of Josh Wain as the butler Wadsworth, driving the game forward at every opportunity. Harry Archontides appearing briefly as Mr Boddy, before becoming one himself put over the rules of the game very forcefully. Jasmine Podmore as the French Maid turned panic and screaming into a highly amusing artform. I gave up trying to understand what she was saying very early on, but I think that was the point. Superb performance. Larri Rose as the Cook was also highly amusing with the way she wielded her chef’s knife and served the pretend meal taking no nonsense.

All the guests gave very strong performance and had got to grips with their various characters very well, Tegan Csepecz-Strong  as glamorous Miss Scarlet, Grace Crago as Mrs White, Charlie Stewart as an analytical Professor Plum, Ollie Smerdon-Goodman as the Reverend Green, Ruby Lynch as a panicking Mrs Peacock and Becca Bateman as a confident Colonel Mustard.

The minor characters, who (spoiler alert) ended up as bodies all played their part if only for a very short time before meeting their grizzly end! Ben Chapman as the bewildered Motorist wondering why he has been locked in the lounge. Finlay Stewart, complete with a highly amusing handlebar moustache as the Bobby coming to investigate the strange goings on. Polly Richardson as the very glamorous Singing Telegram Girl, who lasted all of thirty seconds before a bullet ended her career.  Harry Lee as the diligent Police Inspector supported by Sebastian Allen as the Backup Police Officer.

This was great fun with some highly amusing moments, some in the script and some added by the directors and cast members. To name but a few: The way Professor Plum picked up Mr Boddy as if he was a weightless rag doll. Or Reverend Green sitting in an armchair holding up a body to pretend it was still alive. The way the bodies slumped when left unattended. And best of all the Pink Panther music playing as they all crept sideways off the stage in perfect harmony. Brilliant!

Also, their diction was clear, and projection has obviously been drummed into this group who avoided the trap I see with many youth groups of speaking too fast and gabbling their words. This clear and well-delivered script resulting in the pace being spot on.

So, well done indeed to directors Orla Hilton and Sophie Rogers, their cast and crew for an excellent piece of well-rehearsed, well-thought-out work.

And many thanks to the FOH staff who looked after us royally with a excellent cup of coffee!

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