In 2023, audiences still love a whodunit, and San Francisco Playhouse is staging one of the best: Clue.
Was it Professor Plum in the library with the candlestick? Miss Scarlet in the study with the knife? Or maybe it was the butler or the maid? Those familiar with Clue from either the Hasbro board game or 1985 film will recognize the familiar setting and characters, but San Francisco Playhouse’s staging and hilarious cast make this production a nostalgic journey worth taking.
The mystery begins upon arrival at San Francisco Playhouse, where clues are scattered around the theater for pre-show sleuthing. Those who solve this mystery receive access to a special cocktail at the bar — a setting designed to get one thinking and drinking before the real mystery unfolds on stage.
Once inside the theater, playgoers are greeted by the foreboding Boddy Manor, with its wings and hidden rooms. San Francisco Playhouse makes great use of their limited space with a set that truly comes to life when the show begins.
The familiar characters of Clue are given new life by actors like Renee Rogoff (as Mrs. White), who steals the show several times with hilarious facial expressions. Dorian Lockett brings a cleverness and an air of mystery to the butler Wadsworth; veteran actor Michael Ray Wisely’s charming and aloof Colonel Mustard is unforgettable; and Stacy Ross’ Mrs. Peacock is just plain uncomfortable to watch… in a good way.
