A straight play needs to be a crowd-pleaser go on a national tour. That description certainly fits “Clue,” which is currently visiting the Fabulous Fox.
The delightful play is an affectionate spoof of murder mysteries based on Jonathan Lynn’s screenplay for the similarly named Paramount Pictures film, which was inspired by its namesake, the Hasbro board game. The playscript was written by Sandy Rustin and has additional material by Hunter Foster (who directed the world premiere at the Bucks County Playhouse) and Eric Price. The original music is by Michael Holland.
The action takes place on a stormy night in 1954. Six guest arrive for dinner party at Boddy Manor, a mansion not too far from Washington D.C. The characters have colorful aliases drawn from the board game: Miss Scarlet, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock, and Professor Plum. The host is Mr. Boddy, whose staff consists of Wadsworth the butler, Yvette the maid, and the cook.
The guests are all strangers, but they have something in common: Mr. Boddy is blackmailing all of them. After giving each guest a package containing one of the canonical six weapons, Mr. Boddy issues a shocking ultimatum. The lights go out, a shot is heard, and the body count begins to rise.
The survivors begin a hilarious struggle to solve the mystery, hide bodies, and stymie unexpected arrivals while visiting the board game’s nine classic rooms.
The current production features a crack ensemble that works together beautifully while maintaining a very broad acting style that is just right for the material. In alphabetical order, the performers are Sarah Mackenzie Baron as Mrs. White, Adam Brett as Wadsworth, Camille Capers as Miss Scarlet, Nate Curlott as Colonel Mustard, Joseph Dalfonso as Mr. Boddy and others, TJ Lamando as Mr. Green, Madeline Raube as Mrs. Peacock, AT Sanders as the cook and others, Zoie Tannous as Yvette, Kebron Woodfin as the cop and others, and Kyle Yampiro as Professor Plum.
The hall of Boddy Manor is the centerpiece of Lee Savage’s imposing scenic design, which has foldout and drop-down elements enabling speedy transitions to scenes set in the other rooms: the study, the library, the lounge, the billiard room, the conservatory, the ballroom, the kitchen and the dining room. Director Casey Hushion keeps the action moving at a farce-friendly pace.
Costume designer Jen Caprio gives Miss Scarlet a sumptuous red gown. For the other suspects, Caprio shrewdly employs a richer color scheme than the one suggested by the characters’ names. Ryan J. O’Gara’s lighting and Jeff Human’s sound create a fearsome thunderstorm and other fine special effects. The fights choreographed by Robert Westley are lots of fun to watch.
“Clue” continues through October 4, 2026, at the Fabulous Fox, 527 North Grand Boulevard.
—Gerry Kowarsky
Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
The six classic suspects holding the six classic weapons in “Clue.”
Top from the left: Kyle Yampiro as Professor Plum with a revolver, Nate Curlott as Colonel Mustard with a wrench, TJ Lamando as Mr. Green with a lead pipe.
Bottom from the left: Camille Capers as Miss Scarlet with a candlestick, Sarah Mackenzie Baron as Mrs. White with a rope, Madeline Raube as Mrs. Peacock with a dagger.
