The cast’s lively and humorous performances amid the murder mystery make this classic play a delight to watch.
On the show’s 70th anniversary, we’re invited to indulge in a classic period piece that made me feel as though I’d been transported back to the early 1950s when the play first debuted. The story of the world’s longest-running play begins with word through the wireless of a scandalous murder, and as the audience, you can’t help but be drawn into the enveloping story. Without giving away any crucial details, the premise is as follows: News of a woman’s murder in nearby London forms the crux of the plot as we are contained by a blizzard in the rural Monkswell Manor Guesthouse, run by the young couple, Mollie (Joelle Dyson) and Giles Ralston (Laurence Pears). Their guests begin to arrive in from the heavy snow, each with their own intriguing affectations and backstories, and we eventually learn that the murderer is in their midst.
The play is greatly benefitted by going along with friends, as a good portion of the fun is derived from conferring about your theories during the interval. Plenty of humor alongside the mystery also keeps it feeling lively and intriguing throughout, and in saying this I feel compelled to give a special shoutout to Elliot Clay, who I felt played the part of Christopher Wren perfectly. The actor’s camp and offbeat performance felt exactly as it should, not overdone, and added to my overall enjoyment. That isn’t to say the rest of the crew’s performances were at all lacklustre, and I particularly enjoyed Gwyneth Strong as Mrs. Boyle and Joseph Reed as Detective Sergeant Trotter.
The play is also not at all impeded by the fact it is set in only one room. Since the plot is predicated upon the characters being untethered to the outside world due to the snow and the murderer being concealed among them, we are satisfied that all of the action is to occur in the one place. What is more, the set feels wonderfully real and visually engaging. It’s clear that real thought went into verisimilitude, made possible largely by the set design, costumes and sound effects. However, I couldn’t help but wonder what a modern retelling of this play might look like and whether it would be capable of feeling as natural as the play does in its current format. I certainly have no complaints, though, since I haven’t felt as immersed in the setting of a period piece as I have when watching The Mousetrap.
Upon leaving the theatre, you’ll get the sense that you’ve played a role in the long-running ritual of the show’s performance, having vowed to keep the show’s twist a secret. The brilliance of the play’s twist is that it feels completely unguessable, and as such, it’s no wonder the play has had such an incredibly long and consistent run. If you’ve never seen The Mousetrap, this is an opportunity you should grasp while you have the chance.