I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, Festival Theatre

I hadn't been to a recording of 'Clue' for almost twenty years.  But here I was again.  New chair, new panellists, but same producer and pianist.  Same games, same audeince responses required.  And the same comedy that can leave an audience aching with laughter.

If you don't know what ISIHAC is about then where have you been?  It's been running on Radio 4 since 1972, and this was a recording of episodes five and six of series 81.  The Festival Theatre was sold out within a few days of the show being announced, as are all their appearances.  This is cult attending as well as listening.  

So the format is well worn, predictable, comfortable.  The producer (still John Naismith, who was there for all the shows I have been to before) comes out to do a bit of warming up.  The teams take their seats and tell a joke each.  Tonight we had Rory Bremner, Pippa Evans, Milton Jones and Fred MacAulay.  On comes the regular Chair, Jack Dee, and piano accompanist, the much abused Colin Sell.  Two shows are recorded, one in each half, with more than enough material to be edited down into a tight 30 minutes radio broadcast.

John and Colin were there for all the shows I saw, all those years ago.  The others were new for, sadly, the Chair and regular panellists of those times are dead now, other than Graeme Garden.  But noithing else is new.  The format is the same, the games are the same, and the silliness is identical.  because silliness is what this show is all about, and something the audeince is encourage to particpate in.  Jokes and puns and wordplay.  Songs sung badly.  (Although Evans has a very impressive vocal style.)  The chair's disdain for the teams, the pianist and the audience.  The 'laser dispay board' and the lovely Samantha.  All still there, all still essential elements of the fun.

It goes worng at times, but that just makes it funnier.  There's the odd politcal comment, but nothing too in depth.  The emphasis, the entire ethos, is about fun, laughter and determined silliness.  Long may it contin ue to be so.  A night at a Clue show is a night to treasure, whoever is up on stage.