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!

Agatha Christie's Murder on the Nile

If you're going to see Murder on the Nile it would be best to have no previous knowledge of the original source whatsoever. Agatha Christie based this play on her novel Death on the Nile, albeit without the inclusion of her most famous creation - Hercule Poirot; the author was apparently tired of the Belgian sleuth. I didn't 'not enjoy' this play but I think I am too familiar with the subject, I love Agatha Christie's Poirot and I had read the book and have seen the film version several times along with the ITV version, so I knew who did it from the very beginning - unfortunately this meant there was no mystery! Also, I think I'm spoilt with these plays, the first 'Agatha Christie Theatre Company' production I saw was Witness for the Prosecution (loved the film, only saw it once) and then Verdict which I was completely unfamiliar with, my unfamiliarity meant I enjoyed them much more. So I spent most of the first half trying to figure out who the characters were in relation to the original novel. Dennis Lill played Cannon Pennefather who was the 'Hercule Poirot' part and the main three characters were changed in name only. As with Elize du Toit in Verdict I unfortunately didn't think much of Susie Amy's acting, luckily for me she was only in a third of the first act... then gets murdered. I think I again was spoilt because the first actress I saw in a Christie play was Honeysuckle Weeks who I've been a fan of ever since BBC1's 'Goggle Eyes'.

It was obviously Kate O'Mara (left) who was going to, and did, steal the show. Her character was a combination of Bette Davis and (Dame) Angela Lansbury's characters (in the 1978 film) and she got to say the funny lines, as funny as anything Maggie Smith gets to say in Downton Abbey - when explained to that her velvet scarf was used in the murder she replies with haughty "how impertinent!". The rest of the cast, as usual with the Agatha Christie Theatre Company, were excellent! The set was also very impressive, with all the ACTC productions I have seen the sets have been suitably evocative.

As this play was just over 2 hours long, and less characters, there was not enough time for the famous Christie elements - the suspect questioning; the general sleuthing, and the finale 'drawing-room exposition' where Poirot would gather together all the suspects and explains in detail who, how, and why! As a fan of all things Agatha Christie I was disappointed with how little I enjoyed this but at the same time, paradoxically, as a lover of all things Agatha Christie I loved it!

                                                                         

This was the first time that I sat in the upper circle of Cardiff's New Theatre and possibly the last, although they are refurbishing it and having new seats - the current ones are uncomfortable and if you are below average height (short) and you sit in the front row there's a big brass handrail... right in my eye-line... I am short, I wonder if it's the same for average heighted people?

These are the upper circle seats and although they are not particularly comfortable I really love them. I don't think I'd sit there again, I don't know if it was these or the Arriva trains seats that made my back ache, leaning forward to look over the handrail couldn't have helped though. The New Theatre are selling these seats. I. Would. Love. One!! If I could I would buy one. How cooool to own a piece of the New Theatre and history, someone would've sat in them watching Shirley Bassey... I don't actually know if Shirl ever played there, she probably did... Someone would have sat there watching La Dietrich! Now I know for sure she was there!

http://www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk/new-seats-scheme/

                                        

p.s.  Please! Readers, feel free to comment. I'm paranoid that nobody actually reads this, just spambots and automatic website robots! (I failed my A Level IT and don't know what they're called!)