Clue Live on Stage has the audience rolling with laughter, review

While many people have traversed the game board to uncover the person, method, and means behind a character’s demise, Clue Live on Stage is more about the rapid-fire shenanigans of the characters. Even though the audience might know the plot, the journey to the final bow has everyone laughing at every turn.

Going to the theater should be a fun experience. While certain plays delve into deep topics and leave audiences pondering the complexities of life, other performances are meant to be fun, lighthearted, and just pure enjoyment.

Clue Live on Stage is meant to be that simple, sometimes silly, pure joy night of theater. From the person who has played the classic Parker Brothers game to the person who has watched the movie hundreds of times, this stage adaption has a sense of familiarity. In contrast, the person who does not know Miss Scarlet from Mrs. Peacock can appreciate the murder mystery in Boddy Manor.

In just a short 85 minutes, the murder mystery builds and leaves crumbs for the audience to solve the caper. Even though the game is afoot, the twists and turns keep everyone on the edge of their seat.

While everyone wonders if it was truly Mrs. White who strung up Yvette in the Billiard Room, it is the ensemble, as a whole, that makes this performance enjoyable. The timing is impeccable. No one misses a beat on a step, cadence, or mark.

While Wadsworth (Mark Price) might tie all these unscrupulous characters together, he shines when his duplicitous character is revealed. One moment, everyone longs to help that poor butler, only to shun his sinister ways. That emotional range shows the actor’s talent.

The scene stealer is clearly Mr. Green (John Shartzer). His physicality is almost another player in this twisted tale. As he contorts his body into the most unlikely positions, it is a physical representation of the twists and turns of this murderous story. His homage to The Matrix is definitely a feat to behold.

Beyond the classic comedic moments, the quieter, sometimes quick utterances are the lines that deserve the audience’s rapt attention. Miss Scarlet (Michelle Elaine) always has a stealthy comeback and telling remark. She can definitely get a rise out of her fellow manor guests. Luckily, she also has them, and the audience, eating out the palm of her hand.

While Clue Live on Stage might be set in 1954, the sordid tale of blackmail and murder never feels dated. Stories of elicit affairs, questionable relationships, and other scandals fill the headlines across the decades. This play might be based on a beloved board game, but it is rooted in the shady elements of real life. If only the real stories could be solved within a limited time frame.

For anyone who wants to silence their phones, solve the murders, and enjoy many laughs, Clue Live on Stage is a delightful night of theater. This story is one that unlocks humor behind every door, even if you already solved the mystery in the manor.

Clue Live on Stage is currently playing Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando, Florida. The national tour will continue to Ft. Lauderdale, New Orleans, and several more dates across the U.S.