REVIEW: Cluedo 2: The Next Chapter at Sheffield Lyceum

THERE is murder afoot at Graveney Manor.

Fading rock star Rick Black is found slumped in his study.

He has been shot, stabbed, strangled and bludgeoned to death – but, while the set-up might sound familiar, this is no Agatha Christie tale.

Written by BAFTA winners Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, Cluedo 2: The Next Chapter sees the usual suspects – including Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlett and Professor Plumb – take to the stage at the Lyceum in Sheffield.

They all have a familiar array of weapons and a motive to dispose of Mr Black.

But who is the murderer?

Faring much better than its predecessor, Cluedo 2 is an entertaining show based on the familiar boardgame.

Despite a bit of a clumsy opening where the familiar characters, locations and potential murder weapons were introduced, the show soon hit its stride and settled in to being an amusing comedy with enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the armchair sleuths in the audience trying to guess whodunnit.

There are some good comedic moments and some clever ideas buried somewhere in the show, but at times it does seem to suffer by trying too hard to relate back to the boardgame that it is based on.

This is especially the case during the first act, and a handful of the running jokes do tend to outstay their welcome.

That said, the second act picks up the pace with a more farcical, over-the-top and cartoonish feel, including a Scooby Doo-inspired chase around the mansion, synchronised tea-drinking and a knowing wink to the audience that this is all a bit silly.

The cast – including Strictly Come Dancing winner Ellie Leach as Miss Scarlett and West End and TV star Jason Durr as Colonel Mustard – seemed to be having terrific fun and there was a manic energy to the whole thing.

With its tongue planted very firmly in its cheek, this family friendly show had surprisingly won me over by the time the curtain fell and the murderer’s identity was finally revealed.