The Mousetrap At Lyceum Theatre Sheffield Review

Reviewed by Joy Wright

The Mousetrap, written by the iconic author Agatha Christie, has become a record breaking stalwart of theatre and holds the incredible feat of being the longest-running play in history. Now in its 70th year, The Mousetrap is a classic example of British theatre, a traditional whodunnit with a long standing sophistication and complexity keeping audiences entertained from the 20th to the 21st century and with a packed house every night.

Set during the brand new winter season at Monkswell Manor Guest House around 1950, The Mousetrap revolves around a group of strangers who find themselves trapped and unable to escape, no matter the consequences due to heavy snowfall. As tensions rise between the guests, a murder occurs and suspicion falls upon each of the guests and indeed the proprietors of the guesthouse themselves.

As the investigation unfolds and motives are revealed the intricately woven story comes to light, but it doesn’t reveal the finer detail until the last few minutes, keeping the audience guessing throughout. It can only be Agatha Christie’s masterful writing which ensures the play’s ability to maintain such intrigue after all these years. There is evidence of the oft used adage in the writer’s work: old sins have long shadows. But I’ll say no more, there is an agreement amongst the audiences of generations; not to spoil the plot for others.

The cast do well, bringing the characters to life with some differences in each directorial interpretation. I was amused to see Todd Carty of Eastenders fame in the role of Major Metcalf, a stuffy no nonsense caricature of a military man. There’s also Catherine Shipton as Mrs Boyle, previously known as Duffy in Casualty amongst other well known roles. In her role of the complainer she finds fault in everything and presents a superb foil for other characters to bounce off with dialogue. It’s fun to see them both as new and very different characters. I liked Rachel Dawson as Mollie Ralston, bringing a keen innocence in her characters desire to get everything right and to manage the guest house well before the drama unfolds.

The dialogue in The Mousetrap is sharp and delivered at a pace which keeps the audience engaged.
The set is beautifully done and gives the impression of an expansive manor house. The costumes draw parallels with Cluedo, with the Major in mustard and the lady of the house in blue. Miss Casewell in green and Christopher Wren in Scarlet trim. Perhaps that’s just my interpretation.

Whilst it suggests elements of the board game the history behind the production is much darker with the storyline echoing a tragic story which really happened.

If you’d like your chance to see The Mousetrap in its anniversary year there aren’t many tickets left to see the production locally in the beautiful Lyceum Theatre. Don’t forget to take advantage of discounted parking with a ticket from the box office.

You can find tickets here: https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/the-mousetrap-2023 or you can call the box office on 0114 249 6000 with ticket prices ranging from £15.00 to £45.50.

Rating: 5/5