Sunday, December 30, 2012

The Mousetrap Review

The Mousetrap
Tour - The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

This is a play that has broken records during its tenure in London. One of its latest records is that it has become the most successful play at the Mayflower. It has sold an estimated 17,800 seats, with two extra matinees added to its run at the theatre. Now though, after it has lasted 60 years in London, I was looking forward to adding The Mousetrap under my belt.

A couple called Mollie and Giles Ralston (Bruno Langley and Jemma Walker) convert Monkswell Manor into a guest house, and soon the guests begin to arrive. Later they take a phone call from the police and this is followed up by the arrival of Detective Sergeant Trotter (Thomas Howes). He announces that a murder in London is connected to someone in the Manor, and the murderer is on his way. He therefore starts to interrogate the guests to find out who is connected. Eventually the guests realise that the murderer is already there and is one of them.

It was engaging to watch these different characters arrive to the house during the first act, before Detective Sergeant Trotter starts searching for a murderer. The second half however did slow down as each character took time to confess to something in their background. My companions, who did not know the plot, also thought the play slowed down.

I also felt the script was talking down to the audience by putting in the play very un-supple false leads. At the start, when the London murder announcement is made on the radio, the description of the suspect's clothing matches that of a character who comes onstage in similar clothing. I have seen moments like these before in other mysteries like the Poirot TV episodes, but it felt a bit forced in this play. I am perhaps a bit surprised that this play has lasted so long, despite the fact that this is written by the greatest whodunit writer of all time.

However this is worth seeing for the cast alone. Bruno Langley and Jemma Walker were a cheery couple of lovebirds as Giles and Mollie Ralston. Karl Howman was an eccentric Frenchman (or Belgian), whilst Steven France was quite the camp, jolly Christopher Wren, and Thomas Howes was a firm and at times forceful Sargent Trotter. I was worried that Jan Waters would overact the fuss-pot Mrs Boyle but she did well as a weary old woman who cant stand things going amiss, to the point where she was likable. Graham Seed however felt insignificant for the most part as Major Metcalf, whilst the play did not give Clare Wilkie much to do as the tom-boy, Miss Caswell.

The set was nicely detailed as the Great Hall of Monkswell Manor, with wooden paneling, medieval-esque walls, a stained window and a lit fireplace to boot. Shadows would gradually grow as nighttime fell, whilst the howling of the wind could be heard outside, adding to the atmosphere. A nice addition was the falling snow that was seen outside the window, whilst the characters would arrive with snow coated on their clothes. Also, whilst the cast of The Ladykillers struggled to make themselves heard, this cast did well to project their voices.

It was great to see this for the first time. The set was atmospheric and the cast was strong. This should be seen at a low Top Price, though one has to wonder why this production has lasted so long in the West End.

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