From 13 to 17 October 2026, the UNSW Science Theatre becomes a gloomy old mansion for Clue: On Stage, NUTS's 2026 major production. The show brings the classic board game Cluedo to life as a fast-paced murder mystery comedy, adapted from Jonathan Lynn's 1985 Paramount film.

Beautifully directed by Charlotte Thomson and Jakson Millard, it kept the audience guessing right up to the final reveal.

A board game brought to life

Combining strategy and luck to solve an intriguing mystery, the UNSW Science Theatre turned into a gloomy old mansion for NUTS’ Clue: On Stage. With multiple rooms, a house full of suspects, six weapons, and an impending murder, players of the classic board game Cluedo stay on their toes as they tick off their clue cards to find the murderer. I attended the understudy night, and it brought another flair to my experience.

The feeling of the fast–paced murder mystery comedy of Jonathan Lynn’s 1985 film is hard to recreate on stage; the fun lies in the guessing. Yet, Charlotte Thomson and Jakson Millard’s live-action version did complete justice to Cluedo. Instead of simply retelling the game, it made the audience the detective and invited everyone in the room to play along.

A mansion of moving doors

‘One big mansion’ best describes the set design by Henry Marsden and lead designer Abigail Holt. Free-standing door props kept moving throughout the play, and the house seemed to rearrange itself around the guests, adding to the hilarious confusion of who was where. Sarah Birrell’s lighting effects mimicked a thunderstorm raging outside, with every flicker and flash setting an appropriately spooky mood. Together, with the help of the stage crew, they built a world that reflects the dark, stormy night of 1954 we are immersed in.

The suspects

The story begins when six guests receive an invitation to a dinner party at a big mansion in an isolated spot. They don't know each other, but they soon learn what they have in common. Every one of them is being blackmailed by their host for the night, Mr Boddy.

Boddy calls them all into his study and threatens to expose their crimes to the police. Then he makes them an offer: murder his butler, Wadsworth, played by Susannah Pretty, the only other person who knows everyone's secrets. Wadsworth works tirelessly to keep everyone engaged, and that effort only thickens the plot. 

Boddy hands each guest a weapon to do the deed (I loved that the production kept the six classic weapons from the board game during this part).

The plot twist strikes during a sudden power cut. When the lights return, it is Mr Boddy who is found murdered. From there, the body count keeps climbing, the weapons start disappearing, and fear rises among the guests. The audience follows the actors across the various rooms, collecting clues that point to a different culprit every time. 

Harper Scilly's Mrs Peacock was wonderfully bubbly, and her peacock-feather headdress was a lovely detail from Rachel Wotton's costume team. Tom Spaul played Mr Green as a jittery scaredy-cat, while Alejandro Sarmiento Castro kept Professor Plum calm and serious.

Callum Beddoe-Hills' Colonel Mustard broke the fourth wall again and again, goofing about in a way that was impossible not to enjoy. Winny He made Miss Scarlet charismatic and daunting. Georgiana Truman's Ms White, with her quiet and cryptic comments, kept the audience glued to the stage.

Maïa Kerboul-Le Grignou as Yvette the maid, along with ensemble members Alicia Benson, Catherine Hay, and Jack Burton-Sullivan, rounded out a mansion full of unlucky visitors.

Final Thoughts

Clue: On Stage was a beautiful mix of mystery and dark, slapstick comedy, engaging from the first flash of lightning to the final reveal. You could enjoy it whether you've never played Cluedo or, like me, have spent hours accusing Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick.

Congratulations to producer Mon Benson, the directors, and the whole cast and crew. This was another wonderful production by NUTS, one that keeps the magic of childhood alive.

Reet is a final-year computer engineering student who spends equal time debugging code and analysing plot twists. With a love for mystery, science fiction, and all things storytelling, she enjoys turning her observations into engaging pieces that spark curiosity and conversation.