Packed with mystery and suspense, it’s no surprise as to why The Mousetrap is loved by so many theatre-goers…
Whenever you hear a play has come from the Queen of Murder Mystery, Agatha Christie, you know you’re in safe hands. Her writing draws you in to the characters and she produced storylines that can be enjoyed time and time again.
So when I heard The Mousetrap was going on a UK Tour and heading to Llandudno, I couldn’t wait to see what all the hype, around the longest running theatre play in the world, was all about.
Despite it being August, this production was like coming home on a cold, snowy winter’s day to a traditional log fire and a good book. From the off it gave you all those ‘old fashioned’ vibes, that just make you feel part of the furniture and I guess that’s what its appeal is.
However, do not be deceived, this play is not as cosy as it first comes off. Audiences are firstly taken into the new guesthouse being run by newlyweds Giles and Mollie Ralston and we see their first arrival of guests.
But slowly throughout the first act hints are dropped as to what may transpire by the end of the play, such as mentions of the recent murder and insights into each guest’s background until eventually they realise the killer is amongst them. It’s then down to audiences to put the clues together and place their guesses before the killer is finally revealed.
There is nowhere to hide in this production, there were no big musical numbers, scene changes or costume changes therefore it was key that the actors could keep that tension and suspense throughout the whole 2 hour performance and boy did they do it well!
The cast starred Susan Penhaligon as Mrs Boyle, David Alcock as Mr Paravicini, Geoff Arnold as Sgt Trotter, Nick Biadon as Giles Ralston, Lewis Chandler as Christopher Wren, John Griffiths as Major Metcalf, Harriett Hare as Mollie Ralston and Saskia Vaigncourt-Strallen as Miss Caswell. All were superbly talented, providing plenty of wit and leaving audiences feeling tense and also left them hanging off every word they said.
The star of the show for me was Lewis Chandler playing Christopher Wren. He provided some of the best moments of the night, leaving audiences in tears with laughter from his portrayal of his character, his subtle (and not so subtle) eye rolls, up and down looks and annoyances.
As all traditional Agatha Christie stories, be prepared for plenty of twists and turns, moments where you’ll doubt yourself for who you’ve chosen is the killer and then the shock realisation that you were completely wrong and nowhere near or completely right – hurrah!
Now, if you were hoping I’d give the game away as to who did it then you will be disappointed. I’m definitely not going to tell you the end result of this whodunit play and ruin the longest (by 67 years!) and best kept secret in theatre history. So if you want to solve the mystery, then head along to Venue Cymru this week to find out for yourselves!
Come and see for yourselves what all the hype is about. Trust me it’s definitely worth it! You’ve got until 17th August 2019 to view the UK Tour at Venue Cymru.
Tickets for the thrilling dramatic masterpiece that is The Mousetrap start from just £20.50. To book your tickets just visit the Venue Cymru website or call their Box Office on 01492 872000.