Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap

Having resisted the temptation of The Mousetrap in London’s West End for the 20+ years I have lived there, I’m glad it was this Australian production that introduced me to the play. This is a top-notch cast and a fitting reminder of Agatha Christie’s contribution to our entertainment catalogue. Perhaps it is the recent lockdowns that have led to the revived popularity of Agatha’s work: she certainly was always ‘binge-worthy’ long before that expression existed. And of course, this national touring production celebrates the classic whodunit’s 70 years of almost continual seasons on stage since it premiered in 1952. It’s a theatrical institution and must be responsible for training up some of today’s popular stage stars.

As well as understanding the readers of her best-selling mystery novels, Agatha must have had some inkling of stage performance, because she does give each of her characters a chance to shine – and you couldn’t get much brighter than this cast. Anna O’Byrne and Alex Rathgeber play happily married Mr and Mrs Ralston, new owners of Monkston Manor, the Edwardian mousetrap maze of corridors and staircases that is the scene of the crime. They are simply a charming and adorable couple – or are they? Their guests (in order of appearance): Laurence Boxhall (the eccentric Christopher Wren), Geraldine Turner (the grumpy Mrs Boyle), Adam Murphy (‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ Major Metcalf), Charlotte Friels (making her professional stage debut as the unequivocally independent Miss Casewell), Gerry Connolly (the enigmatic Mr Paravicini) and Tom Conroy (the working class Detective Sergeant Trotter) are a mixed lot, representing all facets of post-war character types, and Agatha plays on all the class and sex-role stereotypes and murder mystery tropes to alert our judgements. As the whole cast are a finely-tuned ensemble, it would simply be unfair to single any one out, but I personally enjoyed seeing Queensland-born performers Gerry Connolly and Geraldine Turner on stage together!  

The Mousetrap started life as a short radio play Three Blind Mice, practically commissioned by Queen Mary (Mother of the then King George VI) for her 80th birthday in 1947. Our own stage royalty, Director Robyn Nevin must pinch herself at her luck to work with such an outstanding cast, many of whom have sterling musical theatre careers and truckloads of stage experience. What a joy! She has helped to hone each performance to perfection. There is simply no weak link. The pace and humour move like clockwork to keep you guessing, checking every character for nuances and clues, until the very end. The authentic post-war stage sets and costumes by Isabel Hudson are impeccable, with all-important lighting by Lighting Designer Trudy Dalgleish.

Why is The Mousetrap so popular? Well, now I think I understand: apart from being quite a fun time capsule of 1950s England, you do find yourself immersed in the guessing game. Also, it’s a ‘safe’ theatrical experience for the whole family. Yes, there is violence but it is ‘offstage’ and there is plenty of humour. Agatha takes pot shots at the post-war era and uses her characters to sum up all the prejudices and class preconceptions, ushering in a very sneaky warning to the ‘ruling classes’ that perhaps their days are numbered – just like her potential murder victims. So, despite the often ‘jolly hockeysticks’ tone, it’s not as tame as I imagined, and the undercurrent theme (no spoilers from me) could be plucked from any Nordic Noir today. Also, despite the manor house setting outside London, you feel London’s presence throughout the play: on the radio, in newspapers and conversation. So it feels very much like a London play. The person sitting next to me had seen a production in London in the 1980s and they said that this version transported them to the West End. Part of the appeal for that regular theatre-goer was to see something familiar, produced extremely well to a high standard. I imagine it’s the same for others in the audience who will see this production many times. I think a wide range of audiences will thoroughly enjoy their night out at the theatre courtesy of Agatha Christie.

After its Brisbane season, The Mousetrap tours to Adelaide and Melbourne.

Beth Keehn

Photographer: Brian Geach

Find out more: www.qpac.com.au/event/mousetrap22

Read Coral Drouyn’s interview with Anna O’Byrne: www.stagewhispers.com.au/news/caught-trap