Back when I was in law school, our class took a trip to London (which a few of us extended into a two and a half week trip through parts of Western Europe). As our evenings were our own, a few of us decided to look for cheap last minute tickets for shows. The three we ended up seeing were Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, and The Mousetrap. These were the first professional stage productions I had seen since I was a kid. It was pretty cool sitting way up in the nosebleeds, where you could see the orchestra pit (for the musicals), and just generally get the cheap seat experience.
The Mousetrap is the longest running show of all time, and it isn’t even close. It opened on the West End in 1952 - literally before my parents were born - and ran continuously until the Covid-19 pandemic closed all the theaters in 2020. It has since resumed, and is now well over 30,000 total performances. Estimated total attendance in London is more than 10 million.
Which is why it is kind of funny that audiences are still advised to keep the twist ending secret. Surely a lot of people know it already, and attendance is probably not being risked by the spoiler almost 75 years after the play debuted. (Also, you can find the ending on Wikipedia if you really wish.)
I am going to keep the ending secret, as I do for nearly all the mysteries I talk about on this blog. Call it respect for the most iconic stage mystery of all time.
The Mousetrap is a classic of the “locked room” mystery genre. Due to a snowstorm, once the eight characters are trapped in the guesthouse of Monkswell Manor. When one of them is murdered, the others are the only potential suspects.
We are gradually introduced to the characters after we first hear on the radio that a murder has been committed elsewhere, and the suspect still at large.
There are the young couple running the guest house as a B&B sort of place, Molly and Giles Ralston. Without servants, they are run ragged trying to get everything done.
Next to appear is Christopher Wren, an aspiring young architect, who is socially awkward and, (it is implied) gay, in an era when that was still criminalized. Next up are Major Metcalf, an amiable retired military man, and Mrs. Boyle, a decidedly not amiable older woman, full of complaints. Miss Casewell, a kind of “manish” young woman, who is standoffish, rounds out the registered guest list.
Then, however, two others arrive. Mr. Paravincini arrives claiming his car is in a snowdrift, and wants a place to stay. He affects a foreign accent, but seems to be a bit of a fake. He is certainly an oddball, but the Ralstons have an available room which they let him rent.
The final character is Sergeant Trotter, who skis in and says that he thinks the murderer - still at large - is headed there, because the address was on a piece of paper found at the crime scene.
With the phones down, and the place cut off from the rest of the world, the stage is set. When one of the characters is murdered, who did it?
That is as far as I will go with the plot.
Complications abound, because everyone is hiding something. Everyone. The secrets will eventually be unravelled as the play progresses, but there are clues early on. An astute viewer may be able to solve the mystery in advance.
Since I had seen the play, I already knew the plot, so the thrill wasn’t in the surprise, but in how the characters are portrayed.
In this version, I have to say that I think the casting was perfect. While not exactly the same as in the London version of years ago, our local thespians captured the essence of the characters, while bringing personal style to each.
Most of the cast are regulars in local theater, and at BCT. There is one actor who debuted on stage in this production, however, and that is always fun to see.
To start with, Joey Bedard (Giles) is one of the young actors here in town who has been on pretty much every local stage, in a variety of parts from Shakespeare to modern plays. I liked his performance in this one - his beef with Wren (husbandly jealousy) and frustration with the absurd behavior of other characters was quite believable. He is really the straight man in every comedic episode in the play, and kept character well.
Petra Carter, as Molly, was emotionally intense, and incredibly physical. She has been excellent in everything I have seen her in, often in that sort of psychologically fraught role. I’ll also note that her voice could fill a room several times as big, while still sounding vulnerable. She is professional grade, in my opinion, and I am glad to see her regularly on stage.
Jason Dollar (Major Metcalf) is another stage veteran, and brought a chill and relaxed vibe to this particular part, seeming unfazeable throughout.
Beth Clark was perfect as the cantankerous and imperious Mrs. Boyle, nailing the “resting bitch face” vibe of the character. A British “Karen” of a certain age and time, for sure.
Sebastian Richardson as Wren captured the hopeless goofiness of the young man, simultaneously flirting with Molly and mooning over Trotter, with paranoia and nervous tics on display. He too is a young actor who has been around lately, in a variety of roles.
Likewise for Elizabeth Wurster, who played Casewell with a stiff upper lip and a casual strength and confidence.
The new face on stage was Shomario Crawford, taking on the role of the eccentric “foreigner” who can easily become the prime suspect. His take was definitely different from the one I saw in London. Crawford went for the Mr. T vibe, complete with a bit of a ‘hawk, a slightly unhinged laugh, and some campy costumes. My only disappointment in an otherwise delightful performance is that his voice was a bit too soft on occasion to compete with the ludicrously loud air conditioning. (BCT will be moving to new digs, hopefully with a more stage-friendly HVAC system, in the near future.) Nonetheless, he has good stage presence and acting skills, so just a bit more consistent projection, and he’ll be great.
Finally, as Sergeant Trotter, Daniel Lizarraga Ramos brought his trademark intensity and simmering sense of frustration and menace to the part. He really was every abusive cop you can think of, bullying witnesses (and especially poor Molly), getting in everyone’s personal space - much like the Orange Fascist likes to do at debates - and acting as if the way to solve a case is to make everyone hate him as much as possible.
Joey Bedard (Giles), Sebastian Richardson (Wren), Jason Dollar (Metcalf), and Daniel Lizarraga Ramos (Trotter)
I think this was a great take on the part. One the one hand, it hints at the secret he is hiding (remember, everyone is hiding something), and on the other, it makes him plausible as the junior cop - a sergeant, not a full inspector - frustrated at his lack of promotion, and willing to do anything to make a name for himself.
The set was good, as usual, with lots of quirky furniture and knick-knacks accumulated over decades.
A fun show overall, and worth seeing if you are local. It runs through September 28. Tickets at the door or from bctstage.org
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