The New Theatre, Cardiff is a perfect venue to watch Agatha Christie’s sell out show The Mousetrap. The unique nostalgic atmosphere of the old theatre building, accompanied with music from the genre makes The Mousetrap like watching a black and white movie live on stage.
It really is the longest running show of any kind in the world!
Written by one of the world’s best-selling authors Agatha Christie, The Mousetrap is exactly what you’d expect from a titan of murder mysteries and the creator of historic characters such as Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot.
This murder mystery first staged on 6th October 1952 in Nottingham, before opening on London’s West End and ran continuously until March 16th 2020, when it temporarily paused during the Covid 19 pandemic. The Mousetrap was also the first show to re-open, bringing an end to the West End lockdown.
Some other interesting facts, the play was initially called Three Blind Mice and was a radio play, until Christie later extended and renamed it.
Seven strangers, a remote countryside guesthouse, several feet of snow and two murders.
The earlier murder of Maureen Lyon in London is announced over the wireless at Monkswell Manor, a recently opened guest house run by newlyweds Mr and Mrs Ralston. The description of the suspect is released noted as wearing a ‘dark overcoat, light scarf, and a soft felt hat’, is planted firmly in the minds of the audience, be sure to keep an eye out.
Later on Detective Sgt Trotter shows up to help solve the murder of Maureen Lyons and unearth the past each suspect wishes to keep hidden. He leaves each person questioning everyone else and sowing seeds of doubt.
With a sad back story of three children, put into the care of a near by farmer and his wife following the death of their mother, the absence of their father due to the war one child sadly ends up dead. What is the connection, the motive for murder, and who decided that revenge was on the menu?
With a cast starring Todd Carty well known for his character Mark Fowler in Eastenders, Grange Hill as Tucker and The Bill as PC Kent you know you can expect great things. Unfortunately, for tonight’s performance Todd Party wasn’t on stage, Nicholas Maude was waiting in the wings as understudy for Major Metcalf. He did a spectacular job and filled the role with ease.
Mrs Boyle is played by Gwyneth Strong also from the Eastenders family as Geraldine Clough, better known for her role in Only Fools and Horses as Cassandra 1989-2003, and many other roles. She plays a very different character and certainly has you wondering if she’s capable of murder.
It is fair to say all the actors of tonight’s opening performance were equally as standout as each other. The cast list also included Joelle Dyson (Mollie Ralston). Laurence Pears (Giles Ralston) Elliot Clay (Christopher Wren). Essie Barrow (Miss Casewell) Kieran Brown (Mr Paravicini) and Joseph Reed (Detective Sgt Trotter).
Listen out during the play for the tune of the nursery rhyme Three Blind Mice, sung, whistled and played on piano. There is also a tradition of the retiring leading lady and the new leading lady of which there has been a fair number since 1952, cutting a mousetrap cake together.
A further fun fact in 1959 the cast of The Mousetrap gave a special performance at HMP Wormwood Scrubs, and during the performance two prisoners escaped! Such long commitment from actors and those backstage over these many years, it really does seem as if The Mousetrap is an addiction for which there is no cure.
For those of you that like tradition as well as a good murder mystery, audiences are asked not to reveal the identity of the killer to anyone outside of the theatre. This ensures the ending is not spoilt for future audiences and the mystery maintained. It is said that Dame Agatha Christie was always upset by the plots of her work being revealed in reviews. So, we won’t be upsetting the late Agatha.
Dame Agatha appeared in public for the last time at The Mousetrap’s annual party at age 84yrs, dying just over a year later.
This is a perfect show and venue for families to enjoy from older children through to great grandparents. Agatha herself offered her own analysis. “It’s not frightening, it’s not horrible and it’s not a farce, but it is a bit of all of those things and perhaps it satisfies a lot of different people.”
Can you solve Dame Agatha Christie’s world mystery for yourself?
Mousetrap is showing until March 18th at the New Theatre Cardiff, with matinee and evening performances, be sure to get your tickets as last night’s performance was a sell-out. It’s not too late to book your seats on the New Theatre Cardiff’s website here.
