Review: THE MOUSETRAP Captures Sold Out Crowd

THE MOUSETRAP at South City Theatre in Pelham is an Agatha Christie classic that is entertaining and keeps you guessing until the end. (I will not break the tradition and you won't get any information about the twist at the end from me!!)

The set is one of the most outstanding I have seen from SCT and the new space gives them lots of room to work. Every detail is spot on, from paint treatments and trim, to the snow on the working window. The fabrics on the furniture are the right blend of plush and shabby.

All of the tricky aspects of the set, as well as sound and light cues are handled perfectly, something that doesn't always happen on opening night.

Director Donna Williamson does a good job of keeping the show moving. It is well paced and the movement around the stage is interesting and natural.

Meg Young as Mollie Ralston is a stand out to me. She is the most natural with her British dialect, not pushing too hard and sounding genuine, but also embodying her character the most innately.

Bill Nixon as Major Metcalf is also a very calming force in the cast, playing his duplicitous part very well.

The "funniest" award has to go to Corey Winston. Although this is not a comedy, Winston brings a refreshing turn to the show every time he is onstage. His bio, which is also a joke written by someone else, did not help me to know what else he has done, so I have to say that if this is something new for him, he needs to continue and next time, he needs to write his own bio!

Jason Vandiver as Mr. Paravicini is also amusing. His make-up, carriage, and accent are reminiscent of Count Dracula and I am not sure that is what he was going for, but it made the people around me laugh so it had its value.

The rest of the cast also does a solid job to keep us interested in the mystery. Michael Wilbanks, a SCT favorite, Courtney Rohella, Alisha Ammons and Alec Beiswenger all kept me involved in a story I know like the back of my hand, so that is worth a mention.

My only complaint would be that the show started really late. The people sitting beside me, newcomers to theatre, complained about that. I tried to explain that the start time for SCT has been 8 pm as long as I can remember, but about a week ago they changed it to 7:30. My ticket still even said 8. I think the theatre was giving some long time patrons a chance to get there and I completely understand that, due to the last minute change.

So make a note, you want to be there for a 7:30 curtain time at South City Theatre for THE MOUSETRAP. It is a classic that you need to see, just like their whole season, a year of classics.

Go to southcitytheatre.com or call 205-621-2128 for ticket information. THE MOUSETRAP runs through October 17.

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