On Tuesday the 21st of November, I went to The Churchill Theatre to watch Agatha Christie’s suspense-filled play, the Mousetrap. It is the world’s longest running play. It premiered at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham in 1952, before opening in the West End at St Martin’s theatre where it has been running for 70 years!
The story is set in the English countryside, in a guesthouse called Monkswell Manor, owned by Mr and Mrs Ralston. One by one, the rest of the characters in the play arrive at the house. Although they seem not out of the ordinary at first - they all have something to hide.
The Mousetrap lasts 2 hours and 20 minutes - but it kept me fully engaged from start to finish. This incredible production offers comedy, as well as murder and mystery. My favourite character is Christopher Wren, played by Shaun McCourt, who had me entertained throughout and received many laughs from the audience.
The most memorable part of the play was the main event...the Murder. I thought the build-up was done perfectly. The lights flashed dramatically, Mrs Ralston was alone on the stage looking confused and uneasy; then the lights cut out. The theatre was in darkness and shortly after, the body was discovered.
Agatha Christie’s timeless work appeals to old and young. As was evident from the people around me, there is something for everyone in The Mousetrap. The audience’s reactions were also part of what made this experience so thrilling: the laughter after Mrs Boyle’s snobbish complaints about the guest house and at Christopher Wren’s childish ways of amusing himself, as well as the gasps once the secret behind the murder was revealed.
In true Agatha Christie style, the play’s end was both unpredictable and, of course, cleverly thought out (no wonder she is the world’s best-selling novelist of all time). I was already an admirer of her work, but this production far exceeded my expectations, I highly recommend it.
And remember, once the mystery is brought to light, you must keep the secret!
