A classic. A landmark. A legend. Read more …
The Mousetrap is famous around the world for being the longest running show of any kind in the history of British theatre - with almost 25,000 performances it's a play to be proud of. And to celebrate 60 incredible years on stage, it's going on tour for the first time, with a star cast to give you a once in a life-time opportunity to see this masterpiece.
The scene is set when a group of people gathered in a country house cut off by the snow discover, to their horror, that there is a murderer in their midst. Who can it be? One by one the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts until at the last, nerve-shredding moment the identity and the motive are finally revealed.
In her own inimitable style, Dame Agatha Christie has created an atmosphere of shuddering suspense and a brilliantly intricate plot where murder lurks around every corner.
Christie takes her play into surprisingly adventurous territory that re-visits a case of serious child abuse from years before, and casts it as a revenge murder thriller. I’d love to see a bold production give it an entirely fresh look, but that chance has been missed here.
It is still hugely entertaining, thanks in no small measure to a fine ensemble cast (in particular Howman), entering into the spirit of the piece with gusto, but and also a determination not to undermine it by playing it as mummified panto.
The Mousetrap remains a snappy and witty piece of theatre. However "murder by numbers" and dated it might feel at times, this is a genuine theatrical institution.
The production already seems very practised and comfortable, and in no way stale.
This is certainly a production to have seen – if for no other reason than as a museum piece of 1950s theatre. And, as a production, it is certainly a step above most of the touring Christies which have come round in recent years.
The legendary success of “The Mousetrap” just proves what classic entertainment this play is, still drawing a huge audience of all ages, sixty years later.
It may not have the same zing of other sexagenarian plays, like The Crucible or Look Back in Anger, but it obviously taps into our shared subconscious desire to right wrongs and punish the baddie.
The Mousetrap feels like a last ditch attempt to hang onto a way of life more associated with the British Empire, one which would never recover its former glory in a post-war UK. So upsettingly, this selection of Christie’s otherwise impressive canon is a disappointingly mediocre example of the prolific writer’s capabilities.
Ian Watt-Smith’s production chugs effectively and sympathetically through the action, on a spacious and good-looking set.
The Mousetrap: Agatha Christie's adult masterpiece
Full casting announced for Mousetrap 60th anniversary tour
Preview: The Mousetrap, King's Theatre
Theatre Royal, Glasgow from Monday September 17, 2012, until Saturday September 22, 2012. More info: www.theambassadors.com/theatreroyalglasgow/
King's Theatre, Edinburgh from Monday October 29, 2012, until Saturday November 3, 2012. More info: http://www.edtheatres.com/kings
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