The MouseTrap At the Mayflower, Southampton Review

Reviewed by Lily Davis

The world’s longest running show, Agatha Christies “The Mousetrap” embarks on its 70th anniversary tour with a stop off at The Mayflower Theatre in Southampton this week. Agatha Christie herself was famously quoted as only expecting it to last 8 months tops, yet here it is 70 years later, still selling out theatres to enraptured audiences. Even Noel Coward was said to have reluctantly congratulated her on the success of the show sending a curt note to the famous author; “Much as it pains me, I really must congratulate you.” Over the years the famous play has sold over 10 million tickets and is still going strong.

The reason for the success? Perhaps the well-kept secret of the show, the revealing of the killer! At the end of the show audience members are encouraged to keep the secret alive; the killer announcing to audience members “Now you have seen The Mousetrap, you are partners in crime and we ask you to preserve the tradition by keeping the secret of the whodunit locked in your hearts”. And we happily do!

The Mousetrap is a thrilling country house murder mystery, exactly what we have come to expect from Agatha Christie. Set in the 1950’s the storyline itself is fairly simple. A gruesome murder has taken place in nearby London. 5 guests, who have booked a stay at Monkswell Guest house, find themselves snowed in during a fierce storm and are visited by a local Police Sergeant Trotter (played by Joseph Reed) who believes one of them to be the murderer of this ghastly crime, with others in danger to be next in line.

We are first introduced to Mollie (Joelle Dyson) and Giles Ralston (Laurence Pears) who are the new owners of Monkswell after being married only a year. Both are confident in their roles and with strong comedic timing, audience members really warmed to them. We are introduced to our first guest as he bursts on to the stage, quite literally, as Christopher Wren (played by Elliot Clay). We all fell in love with this camp, enthusiastic and lovable character. He kept our gaze and we warmed to him despite his irritation to other characters of the plot. I found his energy uplifting, and he kept these energy levels up for the entirety of the play. We next meet the formidable and deeply unlikeable Mrs Boyle (played by Gwyneth Strong of Only Falls and Horses fame). She didn’t shy away from playing the unappealing, unlikeable character, so much so that we all felt very comfortable disliking her immediately. We also meet Major Metcalf who was due to played by Todd Carty of Eastenders and Grange Hill fame. There were some whispers of disappointment around me when we learned that this role was to be played by Nicolas Maude as understudy, however he supported the cast in this role well. Keiran Brown was hilarious in the role of Mr Paravicini, the wearer of too much makeup! He had us all in stitches and his accent remained intact throughout, no mean feat! His comedic one liners were really welcomed by the audience. Our final guest was the cold, aloof young lady, travelling on business. Played by Essie Barrow, she is standoffish, spiteful and peevish. Essie manages to get this across well.

The Mousetrap is the perfect suspense-filled story. The set is perfectly reminiscent of a 50s manor house, with nods to period features. With a plot full of elaborate characters, all with comprehensive back stories that ease their way out as the plot goes along. So on to the big finale; who was the despicable killer in the room? You’ll not hear the truth from me! The secret really is locked in my heart.

Rating: 5/5

The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
Tuesday 28th February – Saturday 4th March 2023
Tickets can be purchased from www.mayflower.org.uk or by phone 02380 711811