By James V. Ruocco
The board game "Clue," devised by Anthony E. Pratt, a British musician by trade, was originally launched in Leeds, United Kingdom, back in 1949.
A murder mystery board game, involving six suspects, each guilty of perhaps murdering the game's marked villain Mr. Boddy, the match (or playoff, if you prefer) itself is solved by players collecting a variety of clues which eventually culminate in the naming of the actual murderer, the weapon used and what room the crime actually took place at the mansion.
Taking its cue from the classic board game and the 1985 cult movie classic "Clue," the stage adaptation, aptly titled "Clue On Stage"- not to be confused with "Clue: The Musical" - comes packaged with the same whodunit suspects, weapons and familiar line of questioning.
Who killed Mr. Boddy?
Was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the revolver?
Did Miss Scarlett commit the act of murder in the study with the rope?
Who exactly is Mr. Green? And what is he hiding?
Is the Cook really a culinary wizard? Or does she too have a very shady past?
Like the board game, the list of possibilities is endless.
As the body count rises, "Clue On Stage" introduces lots of colorful supporting characters who may (or may not be) exactly who they say they are.
And therein, lies the fun.
The Castle Craig Players incarnation of "Clue On Stage" is a game well worth playing.
It's the perfect whodunit.
It's infectious and frothy.
It's galloping and giddy.
It's fast and furious.
Its transition from board game to stage play is clever and committed.
Its mix of laughter, energy, thrills and spills is centered and plot moving.
It also keeps you guessing and guessing and guessing.
Whodunit?
Even with all of the game's trademark pieces, elements and characters in place, "Clue On Stage" is not that easy to figure out.
Adapted from the 1985 film version of "Clue," which was written by Jonathan Lynn, "Clue On Stage," penned by Sandy Rustin with additional material by Eric Price and Hunter Foster, is constructed with lofty wit, mayhem, motive and assortment. A parody fueled with appropriate dashes of slapstick, swagger, anxiety and eccentricity, it gloriously attacks the murder thriller genre with daft and dandy panache, caricature, physical dare and splendid, well-timed wordplay. But the interpretation itself is not paint-by-numbers or an easy read of one, two or three. Not by a longshot.
Here, there's a purpose to everything. Spoof and satire aside, "Clue On Stage" is smart, chaotic fun with its own special brand of humor, personality, mystery and dash. Yes, it's played entirely for laughs. Yes, it gleefully attacks the murder mystery genre. Yes, it twirls, whirls and spins wildly out of control. Yes, it makes light of murder, momentum and interrogation. Yes, it includes some last-minute, surprise twists and turns you never saw coming. But at the same time, its cheeky verbiage, its pivotal scene-by-scene evolvement and its daft choices and coverups are laced with engaging, satisfying definition and description that add swing, swerve, bite and polish to Rustin's inspired, crafty parody.
That satirical silliness is reinforced throughout "Clue On Stage" by director Ian Galligan whose directorial credits at the Meriden-based venue include "Gypsy," "Company," "Cabaret," "Hello, Dolly!" "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "Who's Holiday!" A natural for this sort of farcical entertainment, Galligan (an actor himself) comes to the production with a feast of ideas, a plate load of certainty and an intuitive point of interest and knowledge that serves the material well.
This being a parody, deliberately set up by Rustin to lampoon, mock and meta gag the murder mystery genre, everything that happens from wordplay and pratfalls to hidden identities, bluff preferences and utter hysterics, must be timed, primed and delivered with appropriate roar, shout, force, glee and well-ordered, whodunit exactness. Well aware of the script's demands, Galligan, of course, digs deep with innuendo-laden wit and aesthetic illustration and transforms "Clue On Stage" into a laugh-a-minute, fizzy treat jam packed with glorious romp and conviction that never once falters for a moment.
Here, doors slam shut. The lights go out. No one knows exactly why they've been invited to the mansion on a stormy night. Weapons are distributed by the butler to the guests in smartly wrapped black gift boxes courtesy of the evening's host. Murders are committed. Bodies pile up. Rotating walls and scene changes heighten the mystery. Characters run vigorously into place simulating passage and arrival into the next room. Key developments in the plot are frozen and framed in stop-go-continue motion. And finally, when it comes time to name the murderer (or perhaps, murderers), the action is repeated and rewound with backwards silent-movie simulation reminiscent of D.W. Griffith, Mack Sennett and Ernst Lubitsch.
The breakneck craziness of it all - drilled, instilled physical comedy at its peak - is hard work. VERY HARD WORK. But as "Clue On Stage" evolves, the comedy at hand is brilliantly executed and driven by Galligan whose use of style, pacing, delivery and reenactment is timed to the millisecond (original music is supplied by Michael Holland) with able assist from production stage manager Olivia Defilippo, assistant director Todd Santa Maria and tech and sound operator Adam Plumley. In turn, the surprise, the chaotic fun and the actual mystery of the whodunit falls smartly into place as does the collective interaction of the characters, the story, the jokes, the mishaps, the slapstick, the mischief and the ensuing buffoonery. And that is what makes this production ever so special.
"Clue On Stage" stars Griffin Kulp as Wadsworth, Jim Kane as Mr. Green, Terrance Peters as Colonel Mustard, Cameron Long as Miss Scarlett, Gina Marie Davies as Mrs. Peacock, Michael Jack Kaczynski as Professor Plum, Mary Pelkey as Yvette and Johanna Milani as Mrs. White. In supporting roles are Toby Henst as Mr. Boddy, Elisa Albert as the Cook/Others, Bret Olsen as the Motorist/Others and Nick Ciasullo as the Cop/Others.
The energy and excitement of the cast is priceless, wild, daring and unquestionably the best ensemble work of season. The sheer force of every performance - lead, supporting and cameo - mixed with fast, fastidious wordplay, expression, personality and mystery brings real connection and commitment to the piece, where anything can happen and does. That said, there's real camaraderie and trust here, an actor-to-actor tool or trait that is inspired, fulfilled and completely genuine. Additional snap, momentum and stimulation by everyone involved heightens the many twists and turns of Rustin's cheeky, merrily-rolled-along play text.
In a standout performance that offers an eccentric take on the stiff, upper-lipped butler character (privy, of course, to the goings-on in any English or American murder mystery thriller), Griffin Kulp, as Wadsworth, addresses the raveling ragtag and physicality of Rustin's giggly plot with pleasurable charm, gait, meander and an emotional complexity and curiosity that thrusts his character center stage throughout the play's succession of sparky repartee, hidden agendas, exits and entrances and deliberate negging.
So exactly, who is Wadsworth?
As "Clue On Stage" evolves, Kulp vacillates amusingly from servant and leader to problem solver, prankster and narrator, thus, prompting suspicion at every little turn. Everything he does is pitched into uproarious, farcical mode with perfectly timed dabs and dashes straight out of the Agatha Christie whodunit handbook.
That's not all.
His best moment comes (there are many) when Wadsworth is asked to replay the murder of Mr. Boddy over and over again using a rewind formula of repeated dialogue and action aggressively orchestrated by Galligan, Using breaking point comedic timing, offset by perfectly synced body language, verbiage and silly but believable facial expressions, Kulp's presentation of this otherwise maximum chaos is retro vivid, slap-and-command ready and a sheer force roar all rolled up into one. It's so engaging, the continual replay of these moments only heightens the play's already proven tomfoolery.
A whodunit mystery played exclusively for laughs, "Clue On Stage" is a wide-eyed pleasure of silly coincidences, macabre amusement, over-the-top histrionics and unbroken eccentricity that plays a large part in the show's success.
Deaths happen. Everyone has a motive. Silences are broken. Truths are exposed. There are sneers and raised eyebrows. There are juicy insults and barbed exchanges. False clues run rampant. Interrogations are plentiful. Nothing is as it seems.
Through it all, director Ian Galligan brings ceaseless energy and impeccable timing to the proceedings, using stage mechanics and utterly silly, parody-induced mayhem to set things in motion and keep the laughter coming and coming in rapid succession.
The cast, in turn, deliver minutely detailed comic performances, which, naturally heightens the play's merriment, its wackadoodle palate, its priceless gaffes and thrills and its bustling artifice until the big reveal is announced in quintessential murder mystery fashion.
Whodunit?
Grab a seat. Play the game.
The multitude of clues - no pun intended - are endless.
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