Citylife in Lichfield May 2023

The Mousetrap - Celebrating 70 Years!
By Jono Oates
In November 1952 the first West End performance of the
Mousetrap play, by Agatha Christie, took place at the
Ambassadors Theatre in London. Although the play’s creator
thought that the show might only run for 8 months, she clearly
underestimated the power of her own production, as it is still going
strong today, 70 years later!
The show later moved across to the nearby St Martin’s Theatre, where
performances are still taking place, but the play is now out on a national
tour of provincial theatres, including the Garrick Theatre, to celebrate its
incredible 70-year-old history.
The Mousetrap is such a prestigious and acclaimed play that there was
no surprise to see that its week-long performances at the Garrick,
including the Saturday matinee, were sold out, just too good an
opportunity to miss out on for the Lichfield and beyond theatregoers.
The Mousetrap is not only quintessentially Christie but also
quintessentially British, and if you are a lover of Poirot and Miss Marple
then you will know exactly what to expect. The key elements are all in
place and are all typical Christie techniques. The play takes place in a
remote former countryside stately home, now turned into a guest house
by the owners, Mollie and Giles Ralston. Their hotel, Monkswell Manor in
Berkshire, is very grand but the Ralston’s struggle to keep the large
manor house going on their own. A snowstorm descends across the
district and soon the manor becomes cut off from the outside world. As
their first guests trudge in across the snowy and icy landscape, and news
of a murder that has taken place in London that same day filters in
through the radio, it becomes clear that not everyone is as they seem…
and that there may well be a murderer amongst them. When a police
sergeant arrives with a warning that a murder may be about to take place
in the manor itself, events take a dangerous course, and soon everyone
becomes a potential murder victim… or the murderer!
There are, of course, lots of twist-and-turns, red herrings and
revelations, typical of a Christie play, and with a wonderful set of
characters, all with their own eccentricities and mannerisms, The
Mousetrap rattles along at a great pace. It’s also very good fun, with lots
of witty one-liners, comedy accents and even a bit of slapstick, which is
quite surprising and unexpected for Christie, and it is said to be her finest
comedy-play.
The experienced cast were all in good form and it must be a pleasure
to be taking part in such an iconic play and bringing it to audiences
outside of the capital. Todd Carty and Gwyneth Strong are two of the
best-known actors in the play, Todd having starred in Eastenders for many
years, as well as in The Bill, although slightly older readers might
remember him as Tucker, a young boy in Phil Redmond’s Grange Hill TV
series. Gwyneth has also appeared in Eastenders but, of course, is best
remembered as Rodney’s Cassandra in the wonderful Fools and Horses.
The rest of the cast are all very impressive too, especially Elliot Clay as
the irrepressible, annoying and curiously-named Christopher Wren, a
wannabe architect (with that name he had to be!) who has great fun
racing round the stage and camping everything up in fine style!
The stage set is very impressive, replicating a 1950s stately home, and
the look and feel of the costumes, the ornaments, including the old-style
radio set, and the furniture ooze post-war British style.
The absolute bottom-line of The Mousetrap is, of course, the ‘reveal’ at
the end – the classic whodunnit. Ever since the play started in the early
1950s, audiences have been told to keep the identity of the murderer a
secret… and I’m not about to break that particular theatre tradition!
If you haven’t seen The Mousetrap, you may have to travel down to
London to see it… or wait until 2033 when they may embark on the 80th
anniversary tour!
*cast photo credit Matt Crockett
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