Cluedo
Craig Sugden
In these challenging times there is a sense that any production that makes it onto the stage is a triumph. The right minded inclination is surely to cheer on any show, especially one that sets out to provide an evening of harmless fun and belly laughs. It’s nothing less than a terrible shame, therefore, when a production doesn’t live up to those expectations, notwithstanding an enthusiastic and committed cast.
Mark Bell’s anglicised version of Sandy Rustin’s adaptation of Jonathan Lynn’s screen version has been rather cheekily labelled a new play, which is stretching the definition a tad, but there’s no denying Bell has populated this reimaging with British archetypes and stuck them in a classic country house setting. High production values are evident from the start, with designer David Farley’s creative solution to the multi-room narrative showcased from the outset. His work was nicely complimented by Warren Letton’s lighting design and sound from Jon Biber. All three talents combined to offer high hopes for the show’s opening. Sadly, despite Jean-Luke Worrell doing much of the plot’s heavy lifting, the action flagged after initial introductions and then never quite recovered.
I’m still mulling over whether blame for this should be levelled at Ruskin’s flaccid text or Bell’s undisciplined direction. There are parts of the play – a bizarre dining scene that goes nowhere springs to mind – that we could have happily done without. I wonder how much significance to put on a running time in the programme of two hours and a performance time of twenty minutes less. My guess is that some comedy business has already been jettisoned before the tour started, and on the evidence of last night’s performance yet more could go.
The Play that Goes Wrong, Bell’s great success, had priced in a ramshackle, amateurish presentation. It’s the whole point of the play. The same approach here works less well, as too often the pratfalls fall flat and running around goes nowhere. As long ago as the early eighties, Michael Frayn demonstrated the importance of precision in farce, with his masterful Noises Off. The actors in this production were too often left to their own devices, leaning heavily of pulling faces and fourth wall busting to squeeze out laughs from thin gruel. The cast did their very best with what they had, and several of them managed to carve out distinct characters. Tom Babbage made a likeable fool of himself throughout, while Wesley Griffith brought to mind Ben Willbond’s Captain from Ghosts. I was particularly impressed with Liam Horrigan, who did a fine job of stepping into Harry Bradley’s shoes as the multi-part ensemble man. Bradley acquitted himself too, standing in for Daniel Casey. The real star of the show, however, was Jean-Luke Worrell, who not only owned the stage but got all the best lines. All of which left Michelle Collins, as the productions notional star turn, with very little to do. There was nothing wrong with her performance, but she shared the same fate as Etisyai Philip – stuck with a one note character that had been underwritten.
I should say in defence of the production that it was obviously enjoyed by a large part of the audience, with some of the set pieces getting applause as well as appreciative laughs. It was, of course, never intended to be anything more than a harmless confection, wearing its silliness on its sleeve. This was, for goodness sake, a play based on a board game, not Chekov, so perhaps I should have lightened up, instead of sitting there like an Easter Island Statue while many of those around me wetted themselves in merriment.
I think that my difficulty is that since reopening, I’ve seen some superb productions at the Theatre Royal – Six, The Dresser, Book of Mormon to name three – so perhaps I’ve just got used to expecting nothing short of excellence. Nevertheless, this show could so easily have been so much better if the writer/director had tried a bit harder. I can’t help feeling this was a wasted opportunity to exploit a team that in all other respects seemed to be committed to putting on a fine show. As the tour continues it will no doubt tighten up, and even minor revision would do the world of good, but it’s hard to get away from the conclusion that his was a lazy rehash of source material well past it’s sell by date to start with.
