The board game Cluedo turned 75 last year and surely most of us have played it in our time.

Its inventor merged his passion for parlour games with his deep love of Agatha Christie mysteries and it’s vital ingredients are all to be found in this sequel stage adaptation in Blackpool this week as part of its national tour.

As with the game and the initial stage adaptation, there has been a murder in a grand country house and the players must figure out which of the six colourfully-named characters was responsible, with which weapon and in which room.

Writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, the men behind Birds of a Feather and other TV comedies, bring an interesting twist to this ‘second edition’, setting it in 1968 and with victim Black a musician looking to get back into the big time.

placeholder image — A scene from Cluedo 2

On the way to finding out ‘whodunnit’, the audiences is treated to twists and turns which keep us guessing throughout, some very well choregraphed and performed silent scenes and plenty of comedy which at times is akin to face or even pantomime.

It’s directed by Mark Bell, the man behind The Play That Goes Wrong, and a simple set features a large version of the board game as the backdrop, with the furniture of each room is wheeled on and off by the cast between scenes.

As Miss Scarlett, Ellie Leach, the reigning Strictly Come Dancing champion who spent 13 years in TV’s Coronation Street, is making her stage acting debut on this tour and was in excellent form throughout, with a commendably strong stage presence.

Jason Durr, from TV’s Heartbeat and Casualty, also shines as Colonel Mustard, despite have to deliver in an American drawl as his character resembles Elvis Presley’s manager Col Tom Parker.

It is a true ensemble piece, and all the cast are impressive, and clearly enjoying themselves, but Jack Bennett as Wadsworth the Butler particularly shows excellent comedy timing and delivery, while Dawn Buckland gives Mrs White the Cook a wonderful pantomime quality.

The pace picks up notably in the second act and, as the audience is kept guessing and thoroughly entertained to the end, it’s a satisfying couple of hours for fans of classic murder mysteries and comic farce as well as one of the best board games ever invented.

Cluedo 2 is at The Grand, Blackpool until Saturday, October 19. Stage times and ticket details at www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk or from 01253 290190.