The Mousetrap at the New Alexandra Theatre Birmingham Review
The Mousetrap
New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham
31 October to 5 November 2016
Reviewed by Catherine Brown
Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mousetrap’ is touring the UK and has just arrived at the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham. As the longest ever running theatre production, the show is celebrating 60 years and over 26,000 performances so I was curious to see what all the fuss was about. Despite being a fan of Agatha Christie’s other detective novels, it was my first time watching The Mousetrap and I was looking forward to trying to work out ‘whodunnit’.
The story is set in Monkswell Manor Guest House where husband and wife owners Molly and Giles are waiting for their first guests. Gradually various characters arrive, pleased to escape the winter storm which is developing outside. Eccentric Christopher Wren is soon taken under the wing of Molly who defends him against the abrupt Miss Casewell and fussy Mrs Boyle. Major Metcalf and Mr Paravacini also join the group, who then discover the roads and telephone line are both cut off.
When a Sergeant Trotter arrives by skis warning of a connection between a recent murder in London and one of the guests, nerves become frayed. His concern is justified when just before the interval one of the characters is murdered.
The second half revolves around discussion of who could be a suspect and why. Each character apportions blame to another and over time many skeletons in the cupboard are revealed. Motives are identified and your feelings towards each person fluctuates as the tale progresses. Eventually all the characters are brought together and the murderer is revealed, in typical Agatha Christie style.
Once the cast are applauded, the audience are asked to keep up the tradition of not revealing the secret to anyone else. I admit that I had managed to work out a few of the key elements but not completely solve the mystery. I enjoyed looking out for little clues while still finding some elements tricky to work out. My favourite character was Christopher Wren played by Oliver Gully – his naivety reminded me of a quirky Frank Spencer. The only character I found tricky to understand, as he spoke so quickly, was Sgt Trotter played by Lewis Collier.
The New Alexandra Theatre is easily accessible by car or train and has plenty of parking nearby. We were welcomed into the bar before the show, which is a beautiful room to relax with a drink and chat to friends. The staff were very friendly and it is possible to pre-order drinks for the interval using a handy phone app. Due to the layout of the theatre and number of steps, access for wheelchairs is only possible to the stalls section of the auditorium.
I found The Mousetrap intriguing from start to finish and the quality of the acting was excellent. The mix of humour, drama and suspense demonstrates why this show has lasted for so long. I would give this entertaining show a 5/5 rating.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £16.90 to £41.40 (plus £4 transaction fee).
The Mousetrap is at the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham until 5 November 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 871 3011.
New Alexandra Theatre, Suffolk Queensway, Birmingham, West Midlands, B5 4DS
