It's a dark, rainy and ominous night at Cape Fear Regional Theatre. The mansion has been cleaned. The dinner has been prepared. The weapons have been purchased. What is about to occur right in front of a packed audience is a murder … well, five of them to be exact — in the kitchen, in the billiard room and most definitely in the study.

And the audience will have the opportunity to guess if it was Mrs. Peacock or perhaps Colonel Mustard or Miss Scarlett that did the dastardly deed.

This week through April 10, "Clue: On Stage" appears at Cape Fear Regional Theatre. The most significant difference for usual theatergoers is that this production has a unique seating arrangement that immerses the audience in the play and makes them feel like part of the board game. The stage is surrounded on three sides by the audience's seats, with the actors being close enough to touch audience members in the bottom row during many scenes. Each row of seating has been built a bit higher than the next, and it gives the audience a great view of the action as the night unfolds. There's little chance of someone's head blocking any portion of this 90-minute, fast-paced production. However, the seating arrangement itself does have steep steps.

Due to the nature of the show, the crew at Cape Fear Regional Theatre had to get innovative. They created rooms that opened out of the walls or other rooms built on a turnstile. This set build allowed the entire audience to view various areas and rooms in the mansion while the actors ran around and the dead bodies stacked up. Parts of the stage would move while the actors dashed from one area to another -- speaking to the actors' precise movements. The actors do not take a break during the entire performance since the show has no intermission (a bathroom break would be well-advised before the show's beginning).

The show is quirky, humorous, and enthralling, just like the original 1985 movie, "Clue." Each of the actors delivered their lines well and really embodied the parts they played, down to how they would move across the stage or rush from one room to the next.

Wadsworth, played by Marc De la Concha, was a perfect match for his part. While he depicted a jollier version of Tim Curry's iconic character, it was a welcomed addition to this play. It did not seem like the humor of his role was outside the day-to-day norm for De la Concha. His part came across very naturally.

Miss Scarlett, played by Jennifer Newman, and Mrs. Peacock, played by Lynda Clark, were also notable characters in this production. Newman did well playing an upscale, sexy vixen who carries a biting wit to the party. Her character plays coolly against Mrs. Peacock's screams and hysterics, which often caught the entire audience's attention. Clark did not fail to deliver the theatrics of her character's role and embraced the neurotic and eccentric tendencies of Mrs. Peacock. While Mrs. Peacock's character is often ridiculous, the audience always wanted more lines from her or flops onto the floor, bloomers showing.

Colonel Mustard, played by Ryan Eggensperger, and Wadsworth's banter throughout the play was light-hearted and funny and kept the dialogue flowing. Wadsworth often took digs at Colonel Mustard for his general aloofness. It was hard to tell if it was just the characters or if the two actors were made to play on stage with each other. Colonel Mustard was the male embodiment of a Marilyn Monroe character and just as lovable.

This play is a must-see for anyone looking for an entertaining night out filled with many laughs. While those who have seen the movie "Clue" may think they know how this show ends, it certainly was worth taking the trip to watch this murder mystery unravel right before your eyes.
"Clue: On Stage" will run until April 10. Tickets are $25 each. More information about the play and tickets can be found by visiting www.cfrt.org.