A classic. A landmark. A legend. Read more …
The Mousetrap is famous around the world as being the longest running show of any kind in the history of theatre and now it’s back by popular demand following a record breaking sell out week in 2012.
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 motives 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.
Overall, the revival 60th Anniversary production does a thoroughly good job of staging the classic play. Although it may not set the world alight, the production shows that the genius of Christie’s writing is here and here to stay and long may it continue.
A pleasant enough evening but not as gripping and shocking as I’d have liked, though I’m sure the millions who’ve seen it over the years would beg to differ.
It is this mix of pop psychology with a common touch which has kept generations of Christie devotees complicit in the play's conceit for six decades. But shh. It's far too late to give the game away now.
The Mousetrap is a classic in British theatre but unfortunately this production seems to fail to grasp the secrecy and brilliance of Christie's work. It is typically entertaining with solid performances and comedic elements.
What can be commended is the engagement and accomplishment of everyone concerned. They could easily just turn up and go through the motions and the crowds would still flock in, but the belief and drive on stage are palpable and should be praised.
Whilst The Mousetrap may be a tad dusty and cliché it thrives in this environment and doesn’t need to change with the times in order to entertain. The appeal of this production has always been in its humour and mystery, a mystery which will hopefully be solved time and time again by new audiences for a further 60 years.
It isn’t challenging or even a pinnacle of the genre, but it does everything right.
Fans of Christie and the murder mystery genre will not be disappointed. There is enough humour to keep the storyline romping along and, with a solid cast and an enchanting period setting, audiences can escape into this slice of life from a long-gone era with ease.
Ian Watt-Smith’s 60th anniversary touring production takes a delightfully direct and unironic approach to the drama.
The biggest mystery of this show is, why has such a lacklustre, mediocre play been running for so long?
A stylish tale of intrigue and suspicion, diehard whodunnit The Mousetrap is still a murder mystery to marvel at.
Legendary Agatha Christie stage adap The Mousetrap to tour the UK
Theatre Royal, Glasgow from Monday September 12, 2016, until Saturday September 17, 2016. More info: www.theambassadors.com/theatreroyalglasgow/
King's Theatre, Edinburgh from Monday October 17, 2016, until Saturday October 22, 2016. More info: http://www.edtheatres.com/kings
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