Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap

So I've been waiting 60 years to see The Mousetrap... not really as I'm only 28, but I have wanted to see the play for quite a few years, ever since I was that geeky kid reading Agatha Christie books - I first read Murder on the Orient Express when I was in Junior School.
There's not much to say about the plot, the less known the better, but it's a archetypical drawing room whodunnit; nothing has been changed in the 60 years it's been going, even the set is almost unchanged. That being said I have, for some strange reason and I don't know how, have always known who dun it; I once went to see an Eddie Izzard show where he joked about doing his first gig in the London theatre next to The Mousetrap and he joked about the killer saying everyone's knows, I thought it was one of those things people just know without knowing how they knew. None of this though spoiled it for me, I know who-does-it in Murder On The Orient Express but that never takes away any of the delight I take in watching the film/TV-movie or reading the book again.

Tour cast. Photo from http://www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk/what%27s-on/mousetrap/

As with most Christie plays most of the action takes place in one room, this means that the cast is everything. I couldn't fault most of the cast. Corrie's Bruno Langley, at first appearance, seemed miscast; I'm not sure how much theatre he has done but he seemed to be shouting for the beginning of his performance (instead of projecting *sounding like I know what I'm talking about*) though he did seem to tone it down as the play went on, but I think that he was maybe too young for the part- or it I might just have a prejudice against soap stars in the theatre. The older cast, Graham Seed (Major Metcalf); Jan Waters (Mrs Boyle) and Karl Howman (Mr Paravicini), were clearly the more experienced theatre performers; playing pure Christie characters, and as Waters has played the same part serveral different times she fits the role like a glove (a black leather glove ;-). Steven France as Christopher Wren turns from screamingly camp (a bit too much) to the pathos and angst of what is clear but never stated. The standout performance was that of Thomas Howes as Sgt Trotter, with two series of Downton Abbey he should be comfortable wearing a period character and in some parts of the play he is, as the 'detective' character he has to carry some of the scenes and he does this well, as if he's been in theatre all his career.
The set, characters and plot - there's a reason why this has lasted so long. All the elements are present and correct: the black leather glove, the lights going out - murder, the red herrings; all that you would want from an Agatha Christie play, this will probably run for another 60 years!