The curtain opens as a suspenseful piano, flashing lightning, an ominous manor, and six bewildered guests set the scene for the witty yet enthralling murder mystery, Clue.

Based on the 1985 classic, which was based on the timeless board game, Riverside High School’s production of Clue perfectly emulates the charm and thrill of the original film. As the play follows the hijinks of the six aforementioned strangers, each with their own exaggerated personalities, as they discover that what was meant to be an enjoyable dinner party turned out to be a scheme of their blackmailer, Mr. Boddy. Soon after this is revealed, Mr. Boddy is murdered, leaving it up to the guests to unveil the murderer before the police arrive at the manor in classic whodunit style.

This production drew the audience straight into the action with animated performances and awe-inspiring sets and lighting. Snow Fox was a standout performer as Mrs. Peacock, one of the six party guests, reminding audiences of the show’s more comedic aspects with charisma, amusement, and helping the show remain grounded in its more light-hearted moments. The entire ensemble worked fantastically together, constantly playing off of and breaking the stereotypes on which their characters are rooted.

Another impressive aspect of the show was the sets which are meticulously put together by the Riverside Construction Crew and designed by Caden Barley, Sophia Coulopoulos, and Naina Sharma. Since the production is isolated to the manor for its entire duration, the design and construction crew took full advantage of their limits and created a set full of platforms and suspended pieces, resulting in a two-dimensional affect (perhaps a subtle nod to the story’s board-game origins).

Outside of the wonderful set design, it would be a crime not to mention the lighting. Each party guest was assigned their own color, similar to how each guest would have been represented by their game piece. The lighting designer, Ryder Quiggle, took full advantage of these color schemes, utilizing them to their utmost potential as lighting was used to draw audiences further into the story.

Another standout aspect of Clue was the creativity of the sound design. Orchestrated by Aadi Sinha, Ryder Quiggle, Nathaniel Greaves, and Emmanuel Koursourais, the sound effects were drawn from all sorts of points of inspiration, including but not limited to Among Us and the Garfield Movie. This further highlighted the comedic side of the production, resulting in a lot of laughter alongside a breath of modern humor.

Overall, Riverside High School’s production of Clue drew in the audience in a way that felt as if they were experiencing the mystery alongside the ensemble. With enchanting ambiance seamlessly sewn together by meticulous set lighting, and sound design. Riverside High School’s rendition of this classic served to be a hilarious and captivating experience.