The greatest mystery of the world’s longest running stage play must surely be why its author, the best selling novelist of all time Agatha Christie, initially gave it a life span of only eight months, writes Lynne Lomax.
Seventy years later The Mousetrap remains one of the great ‘who dunnit’ tales of the 20th century and continues to deliver and delight, judging from the reaction of the audience at the opening performance at the Lyceum Theatre, Crewe.
The longevity of this gentle-paced production may be because it covers so many genres – part thriller, part horror, part farce – so it has wide appeal.
It is without doubt very good entertainment, helped by a West End cast with an impressive list of stage and screen credits including Gwyneth Strong (Only Fools and Horses, Eastenders, Midsomer Murders, New Tricks), Todd Carty (Grange Hill, Eastenders, Heartbeat, Holby City) and Steven Elliot (The Crown, Holby City, Judge John Deed, Inspector Morse).
The plot itself is simple and relies on the strong depiction of the characters.
Seven strangers find themselves trapped by a snow storm in an isolated guesthouse. As news spreads of a murder in London a police sergeant arrives (on skis, naturally) and the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst!
But who is the murderer – and, more importantly, who will be their next victim? As the story unfolds it appears that an unfortunate incident from many years ago may hold the key…but who has a grievance sufficient to commit murder?
For over 70 years, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap has kept millions of people from every corner of the globe on the edge of their seats, and last night’s performance was no exception. And yes, there was an on-stage murder.
Obviously we were all sworn to secrecy, so the perpetrator of the dastardly deed cannot be divulged. And there was no butler to blame.
But if you want to have a go at solving the mystery for yourself, The Mousetrap’s 70th Anniversary Tour runs at the Lyceum Theatre, Crewe, until Saturday March 30.
Don’t leave booking for too long – tickets are selling fast. Call 0343 310 0050 or visit www.crewelyceum.co.uk
(Images courtesy of Matt Crockett)
I saw The Mousetrap in the London Theatre about 40 years ago, and it was a joy to watch, sadly I did not get the program to see who the cast were at that time. I hope nobody lets the cat out of the bag.