Review: Cluedo 2 at The Lowry is ‘impeccably written with a Manc twist’

I used to play Cluedo with my sisters growing up and it very quickly became my favourite game on family game nights.

Cluedo 2 at The Lowry

I was never good at it as I was so young but growing up, I got better. So, when the opportunity arose to review Cluedo 2, a slapstick comedy filled with laughs, Easter eggs and inventive set design at The Lowry, I had to do it.

I am hugely grateful I did too, because this is one damn fine show.

Cluedo 2 set design

The set looks like a board game with a 3D model of the mansion. There is a small crew so the set changes are done by the actors which are done in very creative ways. The transition scenes would almost be a continuation of the scene before and helped tell the story further.

David Farley did a brilliant job at designing the sets as certain pieces would come from above the stage and hang – a fun and interesting way to have one stage and multiple uses for the set pieces.

My favourite part of the set was the backboard. The room they were in was lit up on the board on the back of the stage. I loved it.

A retelling of a classic game

Cluedo 2 is a retelling of the game with additional characters and details. It starts with the characters being introduced along with the iconic murder weapons. It is set in the 1970s as opposed to the 1920s in the original game.

Mr Black informs the guests that he would like them all to listen to his new music and he wants them all to meet him in his music room in half an hour.

They all congregate there and find Mr Black dead. Chaos ensues and accusations are thrown around along with some slapstick comedy and physical comedy.

I won’t spoil the ending but it was well worth the drama.

Ellie Leach’s stage debut

Ellie Leach did a fantastic job on her stage debut.

She plays the role of Miss Scarlet, my favourite character in the game, and added her very own Manc twist to the role.

A highlight moment for me was when she did a bolero (the flicks in between the legs in an Argentine tango) with Colonel Mustard. The audience loved it and my boyfriend did too. (It’s his favourite dance).

The script is impeccable. It’s not easy writing a murder mystery but Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran have hit the nail on the head. As a writer, I can only hope to write something as brilliantly crafted as this.

Tickets for Cluedo 2 at The Lowry

Cluedo 2 is an inventive way to imagine the iconic board game. If you love the board game as much as I do, you won’t want to miss it.

You can get tickets to Cluedo 2 at The Lowry by clicking here