photo by: Theatre Lawrence

The cast of "Clue: On Stage" is pictured at Theatre Lawrence.

When Piet Knetsch agreed to direct “Clue” for Theatre Lawrence he was somewhat clueless about the franchise’s large following.

“We had the most unbelievable audition that we’ve ever had,” he said. “More than 60 people auditioned for this play. I’ve never had that many people audition.”

Knetsch attributes the turnout to the apparent popularity of the 1985 film “Clue” — starring Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn and Christopher Lloyd — and also, of course, to the board game of the same name, which originated in World War II-era Britain as “Cluedo,” when Agatha Christie-type murder mysteries were in their heyday.

“One of the first things I did when I got the play was to go buy myself the board game,” Knetsch said. After acquainting himself with the object of the mystery game and then seeing the movie, he had a better handle on the franchise’s black-comedy appeal.

“Clue: On Stage,” like the movie and game, features six colorfully named characters — Miss Scarlet, Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum, etc. — who are gathered at a rural estate, where they quickly become murder suspects. An assortment of objects that could be used to kill someone — candlestick, lead pipe, rope, etc. — are also on hand. The object, famously, is to discover who did what to whom — and in what room: the conservatory? the ballroom? maybe the kitchen?

Knetsch, who has typically directed more serious fare at Theatre Lawrence — 2016’s “A Streetcar Named Desire,” 2020’s “Yours, Anne,” among others — appreciated the “over-the-top silliness” of “Clue” but also the “tremendous challenge” of directing a farce.

“Doing farce is extremely difficult,” he said, noting that timing and speed and the physicality of the production have to be spot on to make the show cohere and to keep chaos at bay.

photo by: Theatre Lawrence

The cast of “Clue: On Stage” rehearses at Theatre Lawrence.

Having multiple rooms on stage where a murder could occur added dramatically to the challenge.

As with most plays, Knetsch said, “Clue” was written to be performed on a traditional stage with the audience in front. Theatre Lawrence, however, has a stage that is fully exposed to the audience on three sides, necessitating extra creativity from set designer James Diemer.

“It’s very challenging — the set design has to incorporate all sorts of doors into these different rooms that you go into in the game,” Knetsch said. In one meticulously choreographed scene, all the characters are scurrying all over the mansion, slamming doors and searching for evidence.

“It’s a romp from beginning to end,” Knetsch said, and it’s held together by a “delightful” cast of 12 who understand that one of the show’s main goals is to make us “laugh at our own foolishness.”

“Clue: On Stage” opens Friday at Theatre Lawrence, 4660 Bauer Farm Drive, and will have multiple performances through May 4. For information about tickets, call 785-843-SHOW (7469) or go online at theatrelawrence.com. Due to high demand for tickets, an extra matinee performance was added on May 3. The show runs for 90 minutes and does not include an intermission.