It’s been six years since I last saw Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap so when I heard that the murder mystery was coming to Venue Cymru it was a case I need to see this again.
The production of The Mousetraps features a superb cast including television star Susan Penhaligon (Bouquet of Barbed Wire, A Fine Romance, Emmerdale) as Mrs Boyle, the rather cantankerous guest that she plays beautifully, Penhaligon has taken over the role from Gwyneth Strong (Only Fools and Horses).
Directed by Gareth Armstrong, the timeless thriller, The Mousetrap, has been delighting audiences for 67 years, even my mum has seen the production over several times and still finds it as enjoyable as the first time she saw it back in the 70.
The Mousetrap differs so much to other shows in that the identity of the
murderer remains theatre’s best-kept secrets, as theatregoers keep it to themselves not to spoil it for those that have never seen this truly amazing piece of work from Agatha Christie, the mistress of suspense.
There aren’t many productions these days that hold up to the production of The Mousetrap, over the years the single set design has stayed the same and the story itself has never moved from its time period and being modernised, but let’s face it, why change something that isn’t broken and works so well, even with audience in this modern age of mobile phones and the internet.
The Mousetrap, The Mystery of Mysteries at Venue Cymru
The scene is set for the whodunnit at Venue Cymru to a packed out performance as the curtain was raised and we are greeted with the wonderful set of the old mansion that is now a guest house, as the guests arrive one by one they are in for a time of deception, intrigue and murder, someone isn’t who they seem to be and it’s down to the audience to discover who that is, who is the murderer and why are they doing it.
The thing with The Mousetrap is it’s hard to say much about it without giving too much away, but suffice to say that the performances, production and the secrecy are a few of the things that have delighted audiences since 1952, the cast for this tour is superb and it’s wonderful to have the production at Venue Cymru and a chance for those that have heard so much about it, to finally get the chance to see The Mousetrap.
As I mentioned at the start of this review, Susan Penhaligon plays Mrs Boyle brilliantly, the character has not been one I like since first seeing the production and that, in turn, is one of the things that actresses that portray the character have delighted me with seeing the productions, it takes a lot to play a character that you just don’t like or have a strange feeling about and Penhaligon has got the character down perfectly.
A comical element comes from Mr Paravicini, played brilliantly by David Alcock, I found many times laughing out loud at the witty lines that he had along with his interaction with the other cast, a joy to watch and to listen to.
Geoff Arnold certainly brings a wonderful performance to the character of Sgt Trotter, as he arrives on the scene to deal with the happens that is going on at the manor on a cold and mysterious night.
Another character that I have always liked in the play, and have often thought would be perfectly suited to John Challis, is that of Major Metcalf played by John Griffiths, another superb performance that adds to the delight and mystery of Christie’s play.
Throw in the mix of the character that has a real air of mystery to her and you have something else that makes The Mousetrap even more intriguing, Saskia Vaigncourt-Strallen certainly brings in that feeling of the era as Miss Caswell.
Lewis Chandler has brought the character of Christopher Wren to the stage wonderfully, a character that has a feeling of mystery and excitement, along with the air of familiarity which has you thinking more about the mysteriousness of the meeting of these, what seem to be, unconnected strangers.
Last, of all, let’s not forget about the owners of the manor, Giles and Mollie Ralston played by Nick Biadon and Harriett Hare. Mollie is the first person we are introduced to in the Manor as she comes in from the snowstorm to open up the house ready for her the guests, closely followed by her husband, is there something mysterious about them, yes there is and it’s down to the audience to find out what it is!
Not to be Missed
From its wonderful looking single set to its eight-strong cast, The Mousetrap is a classic stage play that you really don’t want to miss, even after seeing the show several times over the years, it still holds strong and even if you don know “Whodunnit” you still enjoy the production, with the Mousetrap becoming the world’s longest-running stage production following its West End transfer to The Ambassadors in 1952 and St Martins in 1973 where it has played ever since, it’s still continuing a record-breaking run with over 27,500 performances in London so far.
Don’t miss it, head on over to Venue Cymru and enjoy an evening of mystery. The Mousetrap is on from 12 Aug 2019, 7:30 pm – 17 Aug 2019, 7:30 pm. Tickets available from the website or the Box Office on 01492 872000.
The Mousetrap at Venue Cymru
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
