There's lots of fun to be had amongst the red herrings and misdirection in this iconic and long running play. Rating
Good
I know nothing about The Mousetrap other than that it is an Agatha Christie whodunnit and the longest running play in London. I have deliberately not done any research before seeing it to avoid spoilers. I promise there will be none in this review. So is this old play entertaining and gripping? It’s certainly entertaining and the misdirection and red herrings come thick and fast; but it’s a bit of a slow burn initially as the characters are introduced one by one and the background to the forthcoming events is laid out.
The set (originally designed by Roger Furse and Anthony Holland) is a gorgeous and elaborately detailed sitting room in Monkswell Manor. There are numerous entrances leading to off-stage rooms and a huge window through which falling snow can be seen.
As the play opens, a news item on the wireless reports that there has been a murder in London and we meet the owners of the house, Mollie and Giles Ralston. Mollie inherited the house from an aunt and this is their first day of running it as a guest house. Emily Laing portrays the often distracted Mollie well. In an unscheduled appearance in tonight’s show, understudy Ben Gresswell, in his professional debut, gave an engaging and assured performance as Giles Ralston. It was nice to see the other actors’ acknowledgement at the curtain call.
The guests struggle through the snowstorm to reach the Manor and they are soon cut off as the roads become impassable. First to arrive is the eccentric Christopher Wren (Thomas Barrett) who is almost childlike in his enthusiasm for the house. Susan Penhaligon amuses as demanding battleaxe Mrs Boyle. We meet the curious Major Metcalf (Nicholas Bailey) and the enigmatic Miss Casewell (Clare Duffy) and finally an unexpected guest, the mysterious and flamboyant Mr Paravicini (James Peake). All of them avoid answering direct questions, implying incriminating secrets, but there are many clues, both visual and verbal. There is also plenty of humour as some of the characters actively dislike each other. Finally, Detective Sergeant Trotter (Alfie Richards) battles his way through the snow on skis to reveal that the London murder is linked to Monkswell Manor and the murderer is amongst them.
From this point the pace picks up considerably as every character has opportunity and possible motive and Christie gives enough information (and misinformation) about each of them to be able to point the accusing finger in every direction. There was certainly much speculation amongst the audience at the interval, which goes some way towards understanding why this play has enjoyed such longevity. As the twists and turns are gradually revealed with wit and drama, the ending is quite satisfactory and the amateur sleuths in the audience are either smug or thwarted.
It feels like a rite of passage to have finally witnessed this piece of theatrical history. At the curtain call the audience is instructed not to reveal what they have learned and I will, of course, respect that. So if you do want to know whodunnit, get a ticket and see for yourself. I guarantee you’ll have a lot of fun trying to work it out.
Written by Agatha Christie
Directed by Hannah Chissick
Produced by Brian Fenty and Mystery Holdings
Sound design by Mike Thacker for Orbital Sound
Original stage design by Roger Furse and Anthony Holland
Lighting design by Nic Farman
Production managed by Matt Ledbury
Costume supervised by Caroline Hannam
Fight and intimacy direction by Maisie Carter
Resident direction by Myles Brown
The Mousetrap plays at the Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield until Saturday 7 November and tours the UK until Saturday 17 July 2027.
