Hello everyone! 🙂
Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!
Last weekend, I saw ‘The Mousetrap’, a whodunit murder mystery play by Agatha Christie at St. Martin’s Theatre in London. This was the second time I’d seen the play in London after so many years. The first time that I saw ‘The Mousetrap’ was back in November 2010.
I greatly enjoyed seeing ‘The Mousetrap’ for the second time in London. Back in 2010, my parents and I saw the play in the circle part of the theatre. This time, my Mum and I saw ‘The Mousetrap’ in the stalls and we got a very good close-up view of the theatre stage. 🙂
‘The Mousetrap’ is a rather unique Agatha Christie murder mystery, as it’s like the only one that’s never been adapted for film or TV. Nor is it based on a book by Agatha Christie. ‘The Mousetrap’ is theatre-only and it’s been like that since 1952. The play has lasted for about 75 years.
Another thing that makes ‘The Mousetrap’ very unique is that you’re not supposed to reveal who the murderer is to anyone once you’ve left the theatre. At the play’s end, the cast asks the audience to keep the murderer’s identity a secret to anyone who’s not seen the play.
So, if you’re expecting me to share any spoilers in this review, you’ll be very disappointed. 😀 Not that I’d do that for any whodunnit murder mystery I review on my blog, as it’s nice to keep one guessing who did it when you’re experiencing a whodunit mystery for the first time. 🙂
I’ve shared my thoughts on ‘The Mousetrap’ before – sort-of – when I did a quick review on the 2022 film ‘See How They Run’ in one of my Disney+ Roundups back in 2023. I’m very pleased I’m sharing a proper review on ‘The Mousetrap’ for the first time today on my blog. 🙂
So, what’s ‘The Mousetrap’ about? Well, it doesn’t feature any mice nor cheese in the production in case you’re wondering. 😀 ‘The Mousetrap’ makes a reference to the traditional nursery rhyme ‘Three Blind Mice’ which has the lyric “See how they run” in it. 🙂
The story takes place in 1950s England and the setting is the newly-opened Monkswell Manor guesthouse. A snowstorm takes place and several strangers are trapped inside the guesthouse, only to discover that a murderer is in their midst. 😐 Suspicions soon run high.
Eventually, a policeman investigates what’s happening, especially as there’s a connection to a past child abuse case. Everybody and everything aren’t what they seem. Will the murderer be caught? Will the mystery of why the murder was made be unveiled?
The play takes place in one set – the living room of Monkswell Manor. Somehow, the drama and tension being raised throughout keeps you interested and engaged. I certainly wanted to know what was going to happen next for the characters involved in the story. 🙂
From seeing the production recently in 2026, the cast are very good as their characters. There’s Georgina Fairbanks as Mollie Ralston, the proprietor of Monkswell Manor. There’s Cai Bridgen as Giles Ralston, Mollie’s husband, who runs Monkswell Manor with his wife.
Joshua Riley stars as Christopher Wren, the first guest to arrive at the guesthouse, who is a hyperactive young man that acts in a very peculiar manner. Nicky Goldie stars as Mrs. Boyle, who’s a very critical older woman that isn’t very pleased by anything she observes.
Christopher Wright stars as Major Metcalf, who is retired from the army and little is known about him. Kate Handford stars as Miss Casewell, who’s a strange, aloof and masculine woman that speaks offhandedly concerning the horrible experiences of her childhood.
Stephen Ventura stars as Mr. Paravinci, a man of unknown provenance, who turns up claiming his car has overturned in a snowdrift. And there’s Thomas Dennis as Detective Sergeant Trotter, who arrives in a snowstorm and questions the proprietors and guests.
It’d be very easy for me to share more on what ‘The Mousetrap’ is all about, but that would be telling. 😀 If you’re ever in London, you’ll need to see ‘The Mousetrap’ for yourself. There’s a UK and Ireland Tour going to happen from 2026 to 2027, which you can find out more about here.
I’m pleased that I’ve seen ‘The Mousetrap’ recently. It’s certainly an Agatha Christie whodunnit murder mystery that’s worth seeing, as it keeps you guessing on who committed the murder. The performances of the cast and the characters are also terrific! 🙂
Thanks for reading!
Bye for now!
Tim 🙂
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