I’m trying to do one exciting outing per month. In January I had a trip to the Barbican to see Totoro and last night I watched The Mousetrap! The world’s longest running play, currently in its 72nd year, I’ve wanted to see it for a very long time and was so glad to experience it with one of my lovely nieces and her fiancé.
In this modern world of virtual reality, special effects and non-stop action (talking of which, has anyone seen The Beekeeper? Saw it last week with my friend, it was so awful that we spent the whole film in fits of laughter so, conversely, it was an enjoyable night! I completely agree with what Michael Compton (Bowling Green Daily News) had to say: “Is The Beekeeper a good movie? No. But for the most part it’s comically entertaining, which is probably more than enough to satisfy fans of Statham.” – which we are) it was great to sit down to watch a good old-fashioned play.
There is only one set, the reception hall of a guest house, however by the end you feel as if you know the building intimately. It’s easy to imagine the other parts of the house as they are described, drawing from our own experiences to form an impression of the cellar, the library (quite cold because the central heating doesn’t work properly), the kitchen (with a mahogany table), the drawing room (containing a piano), the long driveway (that is full of snow), the back stairs and the best bedroom in the house (with the four-poster bed).
All this sets us up for a classical whodunit, and Christie is brilliant at presenting her characters with very individual personalities, depth and hidden mysteries. They all have their charms and peculiarities, with intertwining backstories that are slowly revealed as the play unfolds, and all appear to have a possible motive. Nursery rhymes abound, especially ‘Three Blind Mice’ – each mouse representing a murder that happened a few days before, the murder in the play and the possibility of a third if the murderer isn’t caught.
Cleverly written, you are left guessing right until the final reveal and as I’m now sworn to secrecy I won’t be giving away any spoilers!
Elizabeth Mooney 