Still appetite for murder mystery
It was a packed audience at the opening night of Agatha Christie’s most famous and celebrated work, The Mousetrap, playing all this week at the Theatre Royal, Bath.
There was great anticipation as the stage was set for the playing out of this vintage murder mystery, the longest running play on London’s West End which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.
The full to capacity house on a cold Monday night in Bath proves there is still an appetite for a good old fashioned whodunnit of the big house genre.
The audience was not disappointed and they gave a thundering applause at the end. This is a very smart, pacy and atmospheric new production of this iconic play directed by the legendary Ian Talbot OBE. And there are a few new surprises.
The curtains open to a beautiful, traditional set, a typical magnificent hallway of a country manor house, the
famous Monkswell Manor. Designers have created a wonderful atmosphere complete with wooden panels, cosy fire and atmospheric lighting preparing the audience for the action due to take place.
The perpetrator of the murders is the best kept secret in theatrical history and, true to tradition at every
performance of The Mousetrap, the Bath audience was asked at the end to go away and keep the secret intact.
This new touring production of Christie’s vintage work has added pace and celebrity to the play which will delight modern audiences.
Even if you have seen it before it is a lovely production of the work which seems to pass the test of time over and over.
All the ingredients of the murder mystery genre are there, the big house, the isolation, the red herrings, the suave policeman, the upper class characters and suspects all gathered in one place for a reason.
It is snowing heavily outside and this is wonderfully created in this production, you can see the snowflakes through the glass of the old panel windows outside and every time a window is opened you can hear the howling wind behind the dark red velvet curtains.
It is a perfect winter setting and there is no way anyone is leaving.
Todd Carty, well known as Tucker in Grange Hill and Mark Fowler in Eastenders, plays the bumbling old Major Metcalf and is comical and convincing in the role which sends up the English upper classes.
John Altman, famous as Nick Cotton in Eastenders plays the surprise guest Mr Paravicini with great gusto and the comedy is not lost on the audience.
Gwyneth Strong, well known as Cassandra in Only Fools and Horses, is beautifully ironic and cynical in the role of the grouchy old malcontent Mrs Boyle - she had the audience laughing out loud.
Joelle Dyson as main female lead Mollie Ralston adds a new freshness to the role, delivering Christie’s famous words with a new vitality, playing opposite Laurence Pears as male lead Giles Ralston who is very convincing as the upper class twit.
This is a lovely production of the famous classic and it is a great opportunity to see this historic play on our doorstep in Bath in a classy, pacy national tour to celebrate its 70th anniversary.
The audience on Monday night loved it and gave this talented cast a warm and enthusiastic applause proving The Mousetrap and old school murder mystery is still as popular as ever.
The Mousetrap continues at the Theatre Royal Bath until Saturday, November 26.
For tickets visit www.theatreroyal. org.uk or ring the box office on 01225 448844.