Seeing Cluedo at Her Majesty’s Theatre is like catching up with your favourite old friends. It doesn’t matter how long it is since you last saw them, you just know you’re going to have fun. And that’s the great charm of this touring production – it is just pure, unapologetic fun, delivered with a cheeky wink and tons of enthusiasm. Yes, it’s a classic ‘whodunnit’ based on the popular board game, but really it’s less about the murder mystery and more about the old-school comedy.

Think of all your favourite British sit-coms, from Fawlty Towers to Are You Being Served, and you’ll feel right at home here. Indeed, the play was written by Jonathan Lynn who has serious screen and stage comedy credits, including being co-writer of the timeless Yes Minister series which is now treading the boards in London’s West End with the wonderful Griff Rhys Jones in the lead. He also wrote and directed the 1985 film Clue and that screenplay is echoed here.  

From the moment the lights go down, the pace is fast and delightfully chaotic. The first actor we see is Lib Campbell hamming it up wonderfully as the French maid Yvette. She deserves her own 5 stars for 90 minutes of tottering and wiggling across the stage in true ‘Allo ‘Allo! style.

Each character is introduced with a tiny bit of backstory and a moment in the spotlight to establish their identity. Like everything in the show, this happens at a cracking pace. The cast are all brilliant, but my personal favourites were Genevieve Lemon as Mrs Peacock – a hilarious blend of Dame Edna and Mrs Slocombe – and David James as the blustering Professor Plum. It has to be said that the real star of the show is Grant Piro as the bumbling butler Wadsworth – or is he? Everything that happens on stage revolves around him and he handles it with flair. For most of the show, there is so much going on that you forget the bodies are piling up. It would actually be good to have a few more quiet moments to catch our breath and consider the plot line as it races along, but the pacing does add to the sense of adventure.

Cluedo is very much an ensemble piece, and the company works together with impressive cohesion. Each character is boldly drawn and fully committed, from the deliciously dramatic Mrs White (the perfect Rachel Beck) to the ever-flustered Wadsworth, whose high-speed narration sequences are a standout comedic feat. And yes, the wonderful ‘rewinding the tape’ sequence is here, a gem of comic pacing and confident delivery.

The choreography is exceptionally good with very tight, precise movements amidst the mayhem – director Luke Joslin keeps a firm rein on proceedings so there is order in the chaos. And top marks too for the clever and colourful set and costume design by James Browne. The set is a real treat with rooms sliding in and out and multiple doors for quick entry and exit points. And the costumes are divine, evocative of the 1940s but also feeling bright and modern. All the design elements are striking and visually engaging without overshadowing the performances, finding the perfect theatrical balance.

There’s a playful theatricality to this show that only comes from a well-grounded sense of self. The exaggerated character work and moments of farce speak to a grand theatrical tradition of comedy. There’s nothing subtle here, nothing to really think about, and that’s entirely the point. This is just feel-good fun, filled with nostalgia and echoes of a simpler time, and all wrapped up in a dazzling, polished production. It’s only here for two weeks, so book now!

5 stars

by Dr Diana Carroll

Cluedo is at Her Majesty’s Theatre to 4 April 2026.
Tickets HERE