An exciting detective show, inspired by the classic Cluedo board game, comes to Worthing with a brand-new murder mystery. It stars West End and TV star Jason Durr as Colonel Mustard, and award-winning actress and Strictly Come Dancing champion Ellie Leach, as Miss Scarlett.
We’re taking a look at the legend that is Cluedo. The game’s popularity is enduring, with its recognisable characters and gameplay motifs. There have been many iterations and versions of Cluedo in media, from film to stage to television. And Cluedo 2 continues in the game’s camp, silly, and murderous legacy.
About Cluedo 2
Cluedo 2 promises unexpected twists and great one-liners. This brand new play is well suited to fans of the game and newcomers alike. It is a spoof comedy, written by BAFTA Award winning duo Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran. Since meeting at a youth club in the early 1960s the pair have spent a lifetime together writing for radio, screen and stage. Cluedo 2 is their latest theatre offering, bringing the iconic whodunnit to Worthing in a rollicking adventure.
Set in the swinging 1960s, floundering Rock and Roll legend, Rick Black, is desperate to revive his fading career. Whilst hosting a party to launch his comeback album something seems amiss, and then the bodies (inevitably) start to pile up. All the guests become suspects, potential victims, and detectives as they dart from room to room. Who will escape the killer and survive the night?
Cluedo 2 is directed by Mark Bell, best known for directing the original production of The Play That Goes Wrong. He also directed Cluedo, which toured the UK in 2022. Now he is back to introduce audiences to a whole new story.
Cluedo: Who, What, Where, and When
The original game of Cluedo was created in 1944, during World War II in Birmingham, by Anthony and Elva Pratt. The pair were inspired by children’s parlour games like ‘Murder in the Dark’, as well as crime fiction novels from the likes of Agatha Christie, which were popular at the time. There is a local connection between Sussex and the game, as the design of the mansion setting is supposedly based on an old hotel in Rottingdean. Now a private residence, the Tudor Close mansion was built in 1929, and became a popular hotel in the 30s with a billiards room, ballroom and other amenities. Early versions of the game were even titled ‘Muder at Tudor Close’.
The object of the game is to solve a murder-mystery in an old mansion where the crime took place. In the standard version, there are six playable characters, who are all suspects in the crime as well as detectives. Playing cards are used to provide clues about the suspects, the six potential murder weapons, and the nine possible rooms in which the murder happened.
In the Pratt’s original design for the game there were many more rooms, characters and weapons. These included a Gun Room and a Cellar, alongside weapons such as a bomb, an axe and poison. Additional characters included Mr Gold and Mrs Silver. Many of the additional features were permanently removed in the 1960s to decrease playing time. However, some of these unused weapons and characters have appeared in spin-off versions over the last 80 years.
Cluedo’s Legacy
Cluedo’s popularity and cultural impact has resulted in numerous adaptations of the franchise for stage, screen, and books. There have also been various TV series’ of Cluedo, including a game-show version on ITV in the early 1990s. This saw actors playing the game’s characters while a celebrity guest tried to work out who committed the crime. Actors who took on the iconic roles included Tom Baker as Professor Plum in series 3 and Joanna Lumley as Mrs Peacock in series 4. Richard Wilson, Christopher Biggins, and Nicholas Parsons each starred as Rev. Green in series 2-4 respectively.
One of the more well-known adaptations of the game is the 1985 film Clue, starring an ensemble cast that included Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, and Christopher Lloyd. Whilst not a commercial box-office success, the farcical quality of the film and the strong performances have granted it a cult following. Inspired by the game itself, the film has multiple possible endings with different culprits revealed and apprehended in each.
The idea of multiple possible endings was also employed in 1997’s off-broadway Clue: The Musical. Audiences interacted with the piece by randomly selecting cards to determine the details of the crime. Based on the cards drawn for muderer, weapon, and location, the musical has a total of 216 possible endings.
Cluedo’s enduring popularity means that it has remained a cultural household entity, even after 80 years. Its franchise continues to adapt and grow. Cluedo 2 continues in this tradition with a play that will keep you guessing right up to the end.
Don’t miss out
Cluedo 2 is on at the Connaught Theatre Tuesday 24th – Saturday 28th September and invites detectives aged 8 – 80 to watch for clues and unravel its secrets. Join us in finding out whodunnit – with what and where.