Clue, or Cluedo in the country of its birth, is one of the best board games of all time. Colonel Mustard, Mrs. Peacock and Professor Plum have been brandishing their candlesticks, lead piping and other lethal weapons since the late 1940s. That’s when a British chap named Anthony Ernest Pratt rightly figured there would be demand for a whodunnit parlor distraction that took its cue from the popular, contemporaneous murder-mystery novels by the likes of Agatha Christie.
Especially once Hasbro took over the game from Parker Brothers, Clue became a brand ripe for licensable extension. There’s been a movie, a TV show, retro and spinoff games and even a live musical, which I remember seeing in Chicago in the mid-1990s. It’s not a happy memory.
The touring show currently at the CIBC Theater is a newish, non-musical live adaptation credited to Sandy Ruskin that dates back to 2017, and hews relatively closely to the screenplay for Jonathan Lynn’s 1985 movie. Turning a board game with multiple possible outcomes (murderer, weapon, location) into a dramatic entertainment requires some work, of course, and frankly, I’ve seen far more structurally adventurous murder-mysteries: “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” being one.
“Clue” is set in 1954 amid the rise of McCarthyism. It does not involve the audience in its decision trees, nor is it a particularly tense kind of suspenseful. In essence, you are buying a murder-mystery slapstick farce more akin to Tom Stoppard’s “The Real Inspector Hound,” or “The Play That Goes Wrong,” although both of those titles are far smarter and funnier.
Detective mysteries remain popular, whether Scandinavian noir or “Only Murders in the Building.” I hold no animosity for the genre, which got me through the pandemic. I just don’t think this particular show is especially exciting when it comes to detecting. “Clue” was a way to brand the show, of course, but I’d rather see something more original. And truthful. And mysterious.
You do get a bunch of skilled character actors enjoying themselves and camping it up in the period setting. There is a certain escapist sense of fun in the building. Some of the physical comedy, especially a falling chandelier, has its yuks. A few one-liners land. And John Shartzer, who plays Mr. Green, has some inspired shtick.
The thing certainly clips along like everyone is worried about catching the last train home: it clocks in at just one hour and 20 minutes, which was more than enough for me.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com
Review: “Clue” (2 stars)
When: Through March 2
Where: CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St.
Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Tickets: $31.50-$176.50 at www.broadwayinchicago.com
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