“This is a play of a particular style not seen these days…No need to go to London, however, we have a much, much better version here“
Kate Stratford
4 /5 whodunnits
Just before the Great Lockdown, I happened to be in London and chancing by the St Martin’s Theatre, wandered in to see if I could get a ticket to that legendary show, The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie. As it turned out, there were plenty of seats and with the show starting in less than an hour, hung around and viewed all the mementos on the walls, read reviews and so on.
What I saw left me bemused. Why on earth was this a show which lasted 70 years? The set was grubby, as were the stage curtains. The cast were tired as though hungover from a night on the tiles and for a West End show, their acting skills were decidedly poor; moving woodenly about and flatly parroting their lines in indistinct voices. Whatever its history, this show had clearly become a sort of entry level acting experience for those wishing to break into the fabulous West End of London. I left with a feeling I had been bizarrely dragged, most unwillingly, into the past.
Cut to the opening night of Crossroads Productions presentation at the Theatre Royal. A replica set – in much better condition – is revealed. It is all fresher, newer and cleaner. As the cast variously enter in their roles, the stage fills with the energy and pizzazz of professionals who know what they are doing. The diction is clear and precise. Characters are not cut-outs but develop as people. Anna O’Byrne’s Mollie is charming and paradoxically strong and vulnerable. Laurence Boxhall’s Christopher Wren has been re-imagined and his flair often serves to drive the plot forward. (This iteration would not have gone down well in the 1950’s, by the way). As Detective Sergeant Trotter, Tom Conroybrings the needed precision and timing to the script which is starting to flag before his entrance. The ensemble manages to avoid creating stereotypes and deliver nuanced characters with polish.
Director Robin Nevin has taken on board the constraints of this show – and I imagine the licensing would have imposed quite a few – and managed to give it a sparkling appeal. The ensemble tackle this theatrical relic with old fashioned gusto. You are in an Agatha Christie; the brilliant mood lighting by Trudy Dalgleish and stunning period costume work by Isabel Hudson, along with a suitably delicious soundscape, serve to heavily underscore this. And utilising the extensive musical talents of her cast, Nevin has thrown in a little treat for an audience.
This is a play of a particular style not seen these days. It hails from a time when going to the theatre was a big night out and one dressed up for the experience and dined out before or after. Like going to the Globe, it is a historical theatrical experience. No need to go to London, however, we have a much, much better version here.
Kate Stratford, Theatre Now
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