Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap is an absolute staple of British theatre and is now the world’s longest running play. Having first toured in 1952, followed by a West End run which still continues to this day, The Mousetrap is on its 70th Anniversary Tour. They ask you at the end to keep with traditions and not spoil the ending, so I’m not going to spoil it here for you now!
We find ourselves in remote guesthouse, Monkswell Manor. Run by newlyweds Mollie & Giles, they welcome a full house of guests on a particularly snowy night. With news on the radio that a murderer is on the loose, they all quickly become likely suspects when Detective Sargent Trotter arrives on the scene. Each of them has a past, but the question remains… WHODUNNIT!
The cast are superb and without a weak link. They help keep this genre defining show feel effortlessly timeless. With an assortment of personalities, each audience member will have their favourite. For me it was the wonderful Elliot Clay who played hyperactive young Christopher Wren. He played the character with such warmth that the audience instantly took to him, allowing him to get some of the biggest laughs of the night.
It would be a misconception to assume that this was just a serious whodunnit tale. The show however is injected with plenty of humour and warmth throughout. The line however is very clear and it is never at risk of taking it too far. Similarly, there are thriller elements, with lights going off giving the audience an anxious anticipation. These aren’t overplayed and help create atmosphere, without the genre being pushed too far. Littered with red herrings, it keeps the audience guessing throughout. Even if you do guess some of the goings on, it really doesn’t matter. Christie wrote this merely to entertain and it does that with ease.
Having initially started its life as a short radio play in 1947, The Mousetrap continues to delight audiences at theatres up and down the country to this day. It is playing over 70 venues as part of its 70th anniversary tour, including all of the places it played on its original outing! It remains at the Regent Theatre in Stoke until 08/04/2023. See below for booking information:
Photo Credit: Matt Crockett
Note: My ticket was gifted. Irrespective of whether a show is gifted or bought, I always ensure that my reviews are fair and based on my honest opinion alone.