At the conclusion of every performance of Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mousetrap, the murderer steps forward and asks the audience to ‘keep the secret of whodunnit locked in your heart’, an appeal that has proved remarkably resilient given that this tour marks its 70th anniversary and it remains the longest continuously running show of any kind in the world. With nearly 29,000 performances since its premiere in 1952 you could forgive audiences if they tired of it, but a packed opening night in the vast Manchester Opera House, is testament to its enduring popularity.
Confession time, as a critic who has been attending theatre for well over 40 years, I have never seen ‘The Mousetrap’, the rodent has eluded me all these years and whilst it will never be on my theatrical bucket list, the completist in me is glad to have finally ticked it off! Agatha Christie is an average writer but an excellent plotter, some of the reasons for the plays longevity lie in the twists, turns and reveals she works expertly into the story, keeping the audience guessing until finally the murderer is revealed. However, audience tastes change over a period of seven decades and to maintain its popularity the show has incorporated elements of farce which were not present on the original staging, adding a patina of self referential camp to proceedings.
We are introduced to Mollie & Giles Ralston (Joelle Dyson & Laurence Pears) newlywed proprietors of Monkswell Manor, a small hotel just outside London. As a blizzard rages outside and the guests are introduced, it becomes obvious one of them is guilty of an horrific murder which has taken place the day before and with the timely arrival of Detective Sergeant Trotter (Joseph Reed), skiing heroically through the snowstorm, we bring together all the ingredients for a classic murder mystery to be played out.
Veteran Director Ian Talbot is restricted from adding any flourishes to the original staging, this results in heavy handed exposition and obvious character development, with any creativity found in the portrayal of the characters assembled throughout in the one set drawing room of the Manor. Each of them taking turns and seem determined to show themselves in the most suspicious light possible when questioned; mysterious Miss Casewell (Essie Barrow) adding a sapphic quality to her character whilst Major Metcalf (Nicholas Maude) is definitely not what he purports to be. The ‘star’ casting in this production is provided by Gwyneth Strong as Mrs Boyle, sour faced and Ms Danvers like in her disapproval of everything, matched with John Altman as Mr Paravicini sporting an Italian accent that was more Romford than Rome and seemed to appear and disappear at will. Strongest performances were by Elliot Clay as the flamboyant Christopher Wren Reed as DS Trotter, both vying for audience attention as they chewed up the chintz strewn set.
When originally staged this was a much more tense and dramatic piece with a serious and gruesome underlying story, and this facet still has the ability to peek out, with tonight’s audience silent and in rapt attention as the murderer was revealed. However, in order to survive it has long ago moved away from serious drama and morphed into tourist trap, heritage theatre, increasingly mannered in its delivery and overripe in its execution. It works best as a meta piece, managing to be simultaneously self mocking and knowing whilst exaggerating the tropes of a thousand inferior imitators; every Sunday evening TV detective series is in debt to this original template of the country house murder mystery. The recent Disney adaptation ‘See How They Run’ (set during the original London run of the play) is an excellent example of how to pitch this type of work to perfection, encompassing comedy within a detective storyline, and this production follows a similar path.
Overall, ‘The Mousetrap’ manages to keep on the right side of hammy melodrama, but there is certainly enough cheese in this production to keep any rodent happy for a very long time.
Playing until 3rd December, https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/opera-house-manchester/
Reviewer: Paul Wilcox
Reviewed: 28th November 2022
North West End UK Rating: ★★★