REVIEW: A spinning set and knockout cast make a delightful Clue at the Grand Theatre
iPhoto caption: Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Who’d you play as a kid? I was a Colonel Mustard gal, personally, but I had friends who took their roles as Mrs. Peacock and Miss Scarlet very seriously.
A person’s favourite Clue character says a lot about them; it might also totally change their perception of the staged version of the board game, playing in a delightful co-production with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre at the Grand Theatre in London.
Written by Sandy Rustin, and based on the film by Jonathan Lyn, Clue is… about what you’d expect from a 90-minute play sourced from a board game-turned-movie. It’s all about the characters and the set, and the physical comedy afforded by both under the skilful directorial hand of Dennis Garnhum. The story is less important – as you can likely guess, there’s been a murder, and the six attendees of a dinner party must figure out whodunnit – and there’s a vaguely anti-communist theme to the evening, but all in, the plot’s lifted directly from the premise of the game.
And oh, how fun it is to see the game re-contextualized so literally to the stage.
My guy Mustard is a bumbling idiot played by Beau Dixon, who sports a tremendous moustache in addition to the requisite yellow suit (the production’s fabulous costumes are by Brian Perchaluk). Dixon milks the slapstick of the role for all it’s worth, never letting the stupidity of the character get old or repetitive. It’s not an easy task, being the comic relief in a play already steeped in goofy hijinks, but Dixon makes it work – he’s a total hoot to watch onstage.
So it goes for the rest of the Clue crew. Petrina Bromley plays a persnickety Mrs. White, a far cry from the group of come-from-aways audiences may know Bromley for playing elsewhere. Sharon Bajer is the histrionic, squawking Mrs. Peacock, dripping in feathers and self-righteousness. Toby Hughes is the so-nervous-he’s-suspicious Mr. Green, while Derek Scott perfectly embodies the holier-than-thou airs of the snooty Professor Plum. Reena Jolly, too, is excellent as the seductive Miss Scarlet, as is Rosalie Tremblay as the bumbling, short-skirted French maid Yvette.
Rounding out the main cast is Jesse Gervais as the servant Wadsworth, a role with more to it than audiences might assume when he first comes onstage. He’s antsy, yes, and a little scattered, but there’s a surprising, sublime performance just beneath the surface of Wadsworth, one that comes to play in the final beats of Clue (to explain any further would be to spoil – go see the show and experience the many layers of Wadsworth for yourself!). Gervais masters the comedy of the role (both as written and in improvised sequences in the show’s back half), and is a total treat to watch as Wadsworth succumbs to the stress of the dinner party gone wrong.
But perhaps the real star of Clue is Perchaluk’s two-storey set. The mansion is built on a sort-of cube, where on each side the audience can see two rooms – one each on the first and second floors. It’s an inventive, whimsical set filled with treasures and charm; were it not for such a strong cast, the set would easily be a scene-stealer.
Clue isn’t a particularly hard-hitting night of theatre – but of course, it’s not meant to be. Between Perchaluk’s impeccable design and a rock-solid cast of Canadian actors, Clue is a family-friendly delight from start to finish, a lovely and light 90 minutes of silliness.
Clue runs at the Grand Theatre until March 31. Tickets are available here.
Intermission reviews are independent and unrelated to Intermission‘s partnered content. Learn more about Intermission‘s partnership model here.
Aisling Murphy
Aisling is Intermission's former senior editor and the theatre reporter for the Globe and Mail. She likes British playwright Sarah Kane, most songs by Taylor Swift, and her cats, Fig and June. She was a 2024 fellow at the National Critics Institute in Waterford, CT.
LEARN MORE
iPhoto caption: Members of the company of 'Narnia.' Photo by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: Bad Hats’ Narnia is a joyful, heartwarming escape
The spirit of openness and the joy of discovery rule over this Narnia. Open the wardrobe and see.
iPhoto caption: Members of the company of 'Robin Hood.' Photo by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: Canadian Stage’s Robin Hood panto is anti-capitalist fun for the whole family
Following Ross Petty’s legacy of scene-stealing, Damien Atkins as the evil Prince John is easily the greatest delight of the show.
iPhoto caption: Lauren Gillis and Alaine Hutton in 'Public Consumption.' Photo by Eden Graham.
REVIEW: Lester Trips’ stylish Public Consumption captures the internet’s profound emptiness
Rather than directly representing online life, Public Consumption speculates — with virtuosity — about how the digital world affects our bodies. And the show's findings are by no means comfortable.
iPhoto caption: Tony Ofori and Daren A. Herbert in 'Moonlight Schooner.' Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Kanika Ambrose’s Moonlight Schooner is animated and visually stunning, but its individual pieces don’t come together as neatly as I would've expected.
iPhoto caption: Fiona Mongillo in 'Reproduktion.' Photo by Ann Baggley.
REVIEW: Here For Now’s well-acted Reproduktion attempts to tackle too much
Amy Rutherford’s world premiere script is ambitious and the material it covers is complex — but the narrative feels disjointed.
iPhoto caption: Kristen Thomson in 'Fulfillment Centre.' Photo by Elana Emer.
REVIEW: Coal Mine’s Fulfillment Centre asks how we end up alone, together
The production understands the play’s themes, yet feels limited by a script that delivers a package it never fully opens.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Aisling Murphy.
In the darkest months of Yukon winter, it’s all about the Sun Room
I’m here for a week in January as a guest of Nakai Theatre, a hub for theatrical experimentation and outside-the-box programming in Canada’s westernmost territory.
Armchairs, tattoos, and an online theatre magazine
When I started at Intermission, my world was limited to the confines of an armchair. Arts journalism was a high it felt dangerously fruitless to chase. The life stretched ahead of me was amorphous and frightening, a chasm filled with hand sanitizer and immigration concerns. It was worth crying over a spilled kombucha and scrubbing at the stain.
iPhoto caption: Liz Appel headshot courtesy of Liz Appel.
Five questions with Wights playwright Liz Appel
Intermission spoke with Appel over email for a brief Q&A about Wights, now playing at Crow’s Theatre until February 9.
Call for applications: Publishing and editorial assistant
Intermission Magazine is seeking a dynamic and collaborative individual to join our team.
iPhoto caption: What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab
Announcing What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab
What Writing Can Do is timed to coincide with the Grand and Theatre Aquarius’ co-production of Waitress, which will serve as a jumping-off point for discussions throughout the Lab.
iPhoto caption: A Christmas Story production still by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: A Christmas Story feels fresh at Theatre Aquarius
If you want to catch A Christmas Story before it closes, good luck — the show is close to sold out, and with the talent on that stage, it’s not hard to see why.
Comments