As far as board games go, Cluedo must rank among the highest used for other entertainment forms. Movies, books and plays that set a murder in a closed environment are a dime a dozen, without having to be orchestrated well.
That is why Death Comes at the End has done something truly wonderful to make the notion of murder-in-a-box seems fresh and exciting. Upon arrival, you are presented with a handout that includes your own checkbox grid similar to those in the board game (and a necessary pencil).
Set at Ayers House, the location immediately gives an austerity and sense of occasion- and like all good boardgames, takes place with wine within arms reach. But this is no ordinary play. It is rather a cheeky and flexible live enactment of the game. The character cards, weapons and rooms are shuffled and allocated at random to the actors, whose ability to take on multiple roles lead to both admirable and hilarious results.
Their improvisational skills are excellent, encouraging the audience to make suggestions as to details about each character, the time period, the location, the reason for meeting. Without knowing ahead of time who the murderer is, the Scriptease team weave a storyline through the performance, and tie the resolution neatly with a murder-laced death knot.
Mystery, cross dressing, deep South accents, feather boas and, of course, impromptu murder. If any of these take your fancy, bring your observational skills and get thee to a performance of Death Comes at the End.
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