REVIEW: The Mousetrap
One of the most enduring and longest-running murder mystery shows of all time returns to the Birmingham stage.
The Mousetrap is now playing at The Alexandra Theatre.
After a long hot summer comes wet and wild autumnal weather, and as the days get shorter and the nights get colder, the best way to keep the embers of the imagination stoked up is by seeing the 75th anniversary tour of a play that is guaranteed to heat up your mind.
The queen of crime novels Agatha Christie’s radio play - Three Blind Mice - was adapted into a stage play which opened in the West End in 1952 with Richard Attenborough and his wife Sheila Sim starring in the show. The whodunit garnered rave reviews and each showing packed out the theatre which surprised the legendary writer who thought the play would last no more than a season or two. Despite the passing of 75 years the mystery drama shows no signs of stopping.
One of the key things stipulated by Christie to both theatre critics and audiences was not to divulge too much about the plot so as not to ruin the show for others. The secrecy surrounding The Mousetrap has remained in place over the decades. Incidentally, another thing that Christie stipulated was that a film adaptation would only be commissioned once the show closed at St. Martin’s Theatre. There is no sign of that happening anytime soon as The Mousetrap successfully ploughs past the first quarter of the 21st century.
The secrecy continues with the story - inspired by a true-life crime - which Christie never published as a book in the UK.
Another detail worth mentioning is that only ONE production of The Mousetrap can be performed per year in the UK while the West End show continues at St. Martin’s Theatre. Thus, audience members outside London can consider themselves very lucky indeed if they can get their hands on tickets for this show when it comes to their city.
Due to all of the secrecy attached to the show it becomes a truly unique experience for those fortunate enough to see it.
The tale unfolds upon a cold and dark night at a remote country house where a handful of strangers gather, and as they try and huddle together for some warmth they hear a newsflash on the radio about a killer on the loose, and as they furtively look around at each other they suddenly realise some of them match the description of the murderer…
Can you work out who the killer is before the curtain comes down?
This riveting and ingenious play has kept audience members guessing and scratching their heads for decade after decade, trying to work out the identity of the killer before the climax arrives. Layer after layer is removed from the mental cloaks and masks that the characters wear to conceal their secrets and sins in the darkest recess of their minds.
The actors in this production convey the mystery and tensions in Christie’s material, and each cast member brings sincerity and conviction to their roles. Nicholas Bailey (Eastenders), Susan Penhaligan (Tales of the Unexpected), Jack Hardwick (Casualty), Alfie Richards (Coronation Street), James Peake (Holby City), Emily Laing (The Go-Between), Clare Duffy (Our Father) and Thomas Barrett pool together to weave a spellbinding tapestry that fires up the imagination.
The atmospheric set design by Roger Furse and Anthony Holland remains identical to the original West End production with minimal tweaks. The interior of the guest house draws the audience into the warm and cosy parlour while the snow can be seen falling from the windows that rattle with the force of the icy winds which send a shiver down the spine.
Hannah Chissick’s direction is crisp and tight and keeps the focus on Christie’s tightly written mystery.
The Mousetrap is a thrilling edge-of-your-seat experience.
Verdict: ★★★★★
The Mousetrap is now running at The Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham until Saturday 12th September 2026
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