Cluedo! The New Suspects | Brisbane Immersive Ensemble

It wasn’t long into the night’s performance of Cluedo! The New Suspects that I realised that Brisbane Immersive Ensemble are masters at what they do.

I had been deep in conversation with Investigative Reporter and prime suspect Miss Green in the corner of the main ballroom Lady Black's mansion. We’d been sparring over what she knew about the murder of the Lord Black and what nefarious acts she may or may not have been involved with herself. 

I was one of the many invitees to the latest ball of Lady Black, but there was tension in the air amongst many of the guests. Lady Black was trying to keep the proceedings civil, but the secrets of manyin attendance threatened to be exposed and they would all do whatever it takes to protect their reputation.

Across the venue, blackmail, flirtations, arguments, and even a broom closet triste were playing out between the six key figures. While a number of confrontations played out in front of large gatherings of the audiences, many punters had taken to chasing after the characters who took their interest to try to catch a sliver of gossip or accusation to piece together the story. Gasps, cheers and accusations from the punters fill the space as each new twist and turn unfolded.

Without us realising that they'd been doing, the Brisbane Immersive Ensembles team had thrown us into a world of murder and intrigue and we were living for it. 

Welcome to Cluedo! The New Suspects. Brisbane Immersive Ensemble's latest production that returns them to the world that made them famous after a number of sold out seasons of Cluedo! The Interactive Game. We'd been invited to Lady Black's mansion for THE ball of the season along with a new cast of chromatically themed ne’re-do-wells. The setting, the Baedeker Bar in the Valley, which had been transformed in1950s Bris-Vegas Mansion complete with Jazz band and six specially themed rooms.

Key figures from society were in attendance: Master Scarlet (David Cuny), child of wealth and darling of the scene, Princess Plum (Bianca Zouppas), Russian royalty and antiquities dealer, Monsieur Peacock (Jeremiah Wray), a hustler from New Orleans and one of the new rich, Miss Green (Tahlia Downs), up-and-coming reporter with a nose for a story and Mrs Mustard (Monette Lee), celebrity chef and old friend of the Black family. All of Lady Black's (Sarah McLeod) whims were served by her loyal manservant Mr White (Elliot Baker), while Chief Inspector Ash (Danny Brown) watched from distance for any clues of the killer's identity.

Hats off to the fine and committed cast, who threw themselves into the roles with great gusto. At times they had to maneuver themselves in front of large groups in attendance to play out a key scene that would unravel a key plot point. During the rest of the performance, they regularly sparred with the hardcore punters who tried to trick them up into spilling one of their secrets. They effortlessly rebutted tipsy audience members and had quick comebacks for any accusation that came their way. They were well prepared for anything we threw at them and were a delight to play with throughout the night. Many of the leads even jumped up in front of the band to belt out their own song throughout the night. Too much bloody talent in this cast!

Credit also needs to go to the direction and game design for the performance. The BIE team effortlessly unveiled a complicated and interweaving story throughout the night that was able take all 100 audience members along with them, no matter how confused or how many drinks they'd had. 

In the first hour, the eight main characters mingled amongst the audience, enticing us to follow them and to subsequently spread out and explore all the rooms of the venue. They mixed performative scenes, with making themselves available for questions from the punters. Immersive theatre nerds like me threw themselves into getting to know the dodgy cast, but many others sat back and enjoyed the band and the larger scenes that played out in front of them.

The second hour followed with the formal murder investigation, where in true Cluedo! style we were asked to determine the murder, where the murder happened and their weapon of choice. Being one of those slightly (obsessively?) competitive audience members who wants to be the first to figure out all the details of an immersive performance or murder mystery parties, I did chafe a bit at when we were told we’d be solving whodunit with a small group lead by one of the Chief Inspector Ash's team of six detectives. These concerns were quickly overturned though by Jason McKell, playing my team's Detective. He kept us on track with solving the case and giggling with his dour and sarcastic comments. Anyone who wanted to get involved in the action had the opportunity to interrogate one of the suspects, and our detective filled in the blanks with the perfect amount of snark for anyone who was struggling to keep up. While I would have loved the opportunity to solve the crime myself, BIE seems to have found the perfect way to ensure that the whole audience could follow the story and figure out who was the murderer together.

Brisbane Immersive Ensemble have mastered the art of creating the perfect immersive show. Entertaining, intriguing, delightfully over-the-top and immersive to whatever level you desire, Cluedo! The New Suspects is a damn fine night out and a whole lot of fun. I can’t recommend enough for you all to leave your worries at the door of the Baedeker and throw yourself into the world of Cluedo.

I look forward to getting lost in one of their worlds again soon.

Cluedo! The New Suspects plays as a part of the 2021 Anywhere Festival at the Baedeker Bar in the Valley until 22 May.