CLUEDO 2

★★

_REVIEW.   it’s about _THEATRE.   words _KYLE PEDLEY.
  at _THE ALEXANDRA.   tickets _OFFICIAL SITE.   booking until _27th JUL.

July 24, 2024

images © Alastair Muir.

Whilst not completely unheard of, the sequel is something of a rarity in the world of theatre. Cluedo 2 – The Next Chapter, to give it its full, slightly redundant moniker, proves itself even more of a curio, being an originally-penned follow-up to a stage show that was itself an adaptation of a movie before it.

The original Cluedo stage play benefitted immeasurably from the general structure, character work and writing of Jonathan Flynn’s funny and quite criminally overlooked 1985 black comedy. Based itself only very loosely on the popular board game, Flynn’s film (which he also directed) is still relatively obscure enough that its stage adaptation was new, fresh and funny to most theatregoers. Buoyed by a fantastic cast, including some current comedy greats such as Jean-Luke Worrell and Tom Babbage, it was a funny, energetic and highly entertaining piece of semi-farcical theatre.

Perhaps the most obvious choice taken is that whilst labelled as ‘The Next Chapter’, this new story bears no connection to its predecessor at all. Audiences can comfortably go in having not seen the first and will be at no disadvantage. This time round, it’s failing rock star, Rick Black (Liam Horrigan), who gathers the ensemble of potential murders and murderesses to his lavish home and, inevitably, murder and mayhem ensues.

Cluedo 2 hits its first – and perhaps most egregious – stumbling block by not having Flynn’s script and framework to work on. In fairness to writers Maurice Gran and Laurence Marks, at a broader level they are able to channel much of Flynn’s bonkers, madcap approach to the murder mystery genre. The staples are all present and accounted for – colourful suspects, a plethora of weapons and those nine iconic rooms, but as per the original, this isn’t just a simple case of solving a single, simple murder. Hidden identities and unexpected twists abound, and a body count that even Game of Thrones would be envious of begins to mount.

Beyond the wider zany approach to the formula, though, it’s in the details and subtleties where Cluedo’s sophomore outing falls quite dramatically short. Outside of a handful of interesting character choices and quirky moments, it just isn’t especially funny. Vast chunks of the comedy feel either heavily dated or downright strange. An extended set piece about innuendos via sweet treats briefly tickles the funny bone, but is seen and executed far better and funnier in practically any panto of choice.

“Outside of a handful of interesting character choices and quirky moments, it just isn’t especially funny.”

Joking about whether it’s a hard ‘A’ in amen? Or how about the thirty-seventh (he’s counted) time Jack Bennett’s fawning, prissy actor exasperates that he isn’t in fact the butler? A joke almost given a run for its money by the amount of times Gabriel Paul’s Reverend ‘Hal’ Green is mistaken for a certain soul singer.

To be fair, criticism must go in the direction of, well, its direction, too. Where returnee Mark Bell formerly had a playground of doors and passages to have his cast darting in and out of in the original Cluedo, David Farley’s more minimalist framing here (which itself is quite neat) requites an abundance of transitions. In and of themselves, most of these are fine, but some of the odd choices taken and bizarre, quasi-choreographed, fake slo-mo’d approach to several of them just comes across as amateur and unmotivated.

It’s a pity, because some of the cast absolutely give it their all, and there is palpable talent on the stage. Bennett is grossly underserved and offers glimmers of a much funnier and more memorable role, were he given stronger and more original material. Edward Howells fairs even worse, his ‘Professor’ Plum hardly registers. Jason Burr does his best as a rambunctious, gun-toting (or is it?), Southern drawling Colonel Mustard, and Hannah Boyce (stepping in for Corrie and Strictly star Ellie Leach in Birmingham) is terrific and feisty throughout.

The standouts, however, have to be Dawn Buckland as Mrs White, and a shapeshifting, chameleonic Liam Horrigan in a variety of roles. Buckland brings oodles of energy and just the right undercurrent throughout of malevolence to her gruff, no-nonsense cook, elevating practically every scene she’s in and doing a lot of the heavy lifting come the second act in particular. Horrigan, meanwhile, is hilarious, popping up and injecting genuine laughs and quality character work throughout, be it as his Jagger-esque rock star, an oily commercial director, or detective by way of an almost uncanny channeling of Steve Pemberton.

“The standouts, however, have to be Dawn Buckland as Mrs White, and a shapeshifting, chameleonic Liam Horrigan…”

For certain, the second act is notably stronger than the first, which is an awful lot of standing around establishing motive and exposition. It isn’t particularly sophisticated or clever as a murder mystery, with many of the big reveals signposted and obvious from early on. Though this particular reviewer will admit to one late-game twist he did not at all see coming, so that’s… something?

In all, Cluedo 2 is a disappointing step down from the first, but that isn’t necessarily a surprise. It’s forgettable and passable fare, and Gran, Marks and Bell clearly aim for the frenetic, almost satirical irreverence of the original. Yet, in practically every regard this is an altogether less polished and capable piece of comedy. It does pick up and begin to realise its potential towards the end, and the likes of Boyce, Buckland and Horrigan are all killer, but ultimately Cluedo 2 proves to be less a case of ‘whodunnit’ and more a conclusion of ‘who cares?’.
A disappointing follow-up that regularly feels dated, unpolished and not particularly funny. Boyce, Buckland and Horrigan put in great turns, but ultimately deserve better than a ‘whodunnit?’ that ends up feeling more ‘who cares?’

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