clues & prose

Review; Komödie am Kurfürstendamm, Berlin

Things like these are partly why I decided on running a blog – it’s somewhat related to my PhD topic, but not enough to actually include it in my thesis. The Komödie Berlin put on a play based on the popular murder mystery game Cluedo – and with barely four weeks of runtime, you had to hurry to see it!

With all the figures, murder weapons, and rooms from the board game, you really feel like the game is being brought to life. And with no less than six bodies by the end of the play, there surely is a lot to investigate! Most effective in recalling the board game within the play were the series of wrong accusations in the end – a turn by turn “This is how the ‘game’ could’ve gone – but it has not,” with time being rewound afterwards to make room for a new accusation.

I was very impressed by the set design which modelled rooms like the salon, the kitchen, the winter garden, the library, and the study by simply being rotated and illuminated in different colours. The crooked chandelier (which does at one point fall down, but in slow motion and (somewhat surprisingly) without casualties) and the continuous thunder and rain effects add to the gloomy atmosphere. At the same time, the comedic quips balance out the murderous plot.

I heard another visitor say that the play reminded them of Christie’s And Then There Were None, a rather dark and violent novel to choose as a comparison – I would personally liken it more to The Mousetrap, if anything (if you are ever in London, I’d recommend seeing it!).

Cluedo – Das Mörderspiel will run until April 14th, 2024.