The Mousetrap
Agatha Christie
Mousetrap Theatre Productions
Opera House, Manchester
October 26-31, 2026; 2hrs, 5mins
(also at Lyceum, Sheffield, November 3-7; Empire, Sunderland, March 22-27, 2027; Darlington Hippodrome, June 8-12; Grand Opera House, York, June 21-26 and other venues nationwide)
Agatha Christie’s record-breaking murder mystery The Mousetrap remarkably embarks on its 75th anniversary tour this week in Manchester. The world’s longest running play, also regarded as the worst best-kept theatre secret - thanks to its pleas to audiences not to give away the culprit's identity - has captivated theatregoers since 1952, and doesn't look like retiring any time soon.
So, what’s the reason for its continued appeal? That might, at this stage, seem more interesting than the story or acting (both of which, make no mistake, are engaging).
Audience members are voyeurs to the events that unfold in a guest house in Berkshire around the end of World War II, to the backdrop of a murder in London. As the unlikely mix of guests descends on a newly-married couple just setting out on running the guest house, the snowstorm swirling outside is soon metaphorically swirling around inside the rickety, mysterious old house.
We are confronted by age-old adages, doubts, social responsibility, acceptance, revenge and fear of shadows, and haunted by the shadows of the past.
Roger Furse and Anthony Holland’s set evokes tradition and status, and offers numerous devices for the director and cast to play with the audience, to weave subtle ruses, blatant revelations and shadowy interjections and introspections.
Similarly the lighting design, by Nic Farman, cleverly enhances the storytelling with its shadowy corners, while Mike Thacker’s brooding soundscape adds to the foreboding.
The cast members offer expert timing and delivery, gradually revealing more and more about the characters as the plot unravels.
The "interesting" characters are certainly varied, confrontational and secretive. Emily Laing’s tour de force as charming Mollie roots the production, and her character, swirling around inside the house, reflects the storm outside. Jack Hardwick as her husband Giles is a perfect foil, with excellent comic timing.
Thomas Barrett ‘s Christopher Wren brings the storm inside too, his performance striking a balance between pathos and eccentricity. There is more of the same in Susan Penhaligon’s witty and opinionated Mrs Boyle, Nicholas Metcalf’s mysterious Major Metcalf and Clare Duffy’s ambiguous and forthright Miss Casewell. James Peake’s deliciously intriguing and colourful Paravicini adds further nuance.
But we are in the hands of Detective Sergeant Trotter, skilfully played by Alfie Richards, as he leads us through the subterfuge, challenging the characters - and us - casting doubt and eventually bringing us into the light of a solution to, you know, whodunit...
Director Hannah Chissick expertly guides her heightened characters, and her audience, through the elevated tensions both outside and within the house and characters.
As Wren and Paravicini suggest, this is rather fun and like a game. For the audience it's certainly a funny, engaging hunt.
In an age when we seem to be entertained by a barrage of visuals and short spectacles, perhaps the most refreshing aspect of this show, and maybe one reason for its longevity, is that it engages us cerebrally; we are asked to think and to judge, and we are are challenged - as long as this isn't a repeat viewing, of course...
More info and tickets here
