I finally got around to seeing The Mousetrap last Saturday afternoon. It was the play’s 29,770ieth performance. That’s 72 years in the West End and the longest-running play in the world. It’s a bit of an institution and even has a clock on the mantelpiece that was part of the original set.
Most of us like a whodunnit and although the dialogue is a bit dated and of its time it still captivates, partly because it is set in the time it was written – the 1950s. Famously Agatha Christie never expected it to run for more than a few months and she forbade a film being made of it until the theatre run had finished – they are still waiting.
As I’ve said the script was a bit creaky and I must confess I momentarily dropped off a couple of times but the rest of the time it held my attention. I was particularly struck by the performances of the leading characters who were both RADA graduates. They brought a playfulness to their actions that enlivened the words and added to their characters. They brought humour or darkness but also a sense of authenticity – they seemed real people. They drew you in and you warmed to them or not.
One thing that grated on me was the door slam. In this production, all the characters enter and re-enter by the front door and there is a blizzard blowing outside. The door slam is an item used backstage. It’s a miniature door set in a frame and it does what it says on the tin – it creates a live door slam sound. For me, it’s too obvious. If the door is slammed by everyone it doesn’t quite fit all the characters. They’re not all in a place of anger so why punctuate the action with a slam? But I admit it does add to the tension.
Of course, you spend most of the play wondering who the murderer is although it does take a while before the murder happens. In those days it was felt necessary to introduce all the characters and know them properly before the murder. That makes sense but it does drag it out a bit. These actors were clever, from their first entry you got an immediate impression of their character type. Then there are the red herrings, blind alleys, and surprising incidents to take on board, it keeps you guessing.
By the time we reached the end we had pondered so much about who did it that we were totally confused until suddenly we weren’t and it was all revealed. So who did it? Well, I couldn’t possibly tell you as at the curtain call one of the actors stopped us clapping and told us never to reveal the play’s secret to anyone. And I’m not going to break that charming theatre tradition that has lasted all those years.
