When A CHORUS LINE opened on Broadway in 1975, no one could have predicted that it would go on to earn the distinction of being the longest running Broadway show of its time. It ran for almost 15 years and played over 6,000 performances! Since then, five other musicals have gone on to pass that Broadway milestone (LES MISERABLES, CATS, WICKED, THE LION KING, CHICAGO). But the champion of them all is, of course, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA which ran for an astounding 35 years and played over 13,000 performances! When Broadway finds a hit (moneymaker) it holds on for dear life. However, London’s West End has a unique history of its own and makes Broadways numbers look, well paltry. They have stats that are unworldly. Both THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and LES MISERABLES are still playing there after almost 40 years and each have notched over 15,000 performances, but it’s a play (not a musical) that has somehow managed to decimate them all. THE MOUSETRAP, by Agatha Christie opened in the West End on November 25, 1952, and it’s STILL running! Yes, this murder mystery has been playing uninterrupted (except for Covid) for over 70 years with almost 30,000 performances! Let that sink in. It’s truly mindboggling. When it originally opened, Agatha Christie predicted it might run for about seven months and put a clause in the show’s contract that a movie version of the play couldn’t be produced until the show had been closed for six months. Hence, there’s still no movie. With a record like this, it stands to reason that this must be the greatest theatrical event the English-speaking world has ever seen. Right? Not quite. Opening this past weekend at Theatre Memphis, Agatha Christie’s most successful play has been executed almost to perfection, but one might still be hard-pressed to understand its unprecedented run.
Considered to be one of the most successful authors of the “Golden Age of Detective Fiction,” Christie based THE MOUSETRAP on her radio play, which was based on the short story, “Three Blind Mice.” Like many stories from that genre, it’s a whodunit murder mystery with a surprise twist of an ending. These mysteries are often set in English country houses (here an Inn) with upper class inhabitants. Unlike a lot of other writers though, Christie infuses a good bit of humor into this story which provides audiences with laughter alongside intrigue. For a 1952 audience, the story was almost certainly fresh and surprising. But what about a 2024 audience? Any audience member who grew up watching “Murder, She Wrote” or “Matlock” or regularly binge watches “Dateline” or “20/20,” might find it a bit predictable/stale. Here, spouses (Giles and Mollie Ralston) open The Great Hall at Monkswell Manor to allow visitors a getaway stay, and this is their first day of business. Five eccentric guests show up and are immediately pitted against each other by a detective who warns they are all in danger and a murder is afoot! As predicted, the crime occurs, and the rest of the play is built around the detective (and audience) trying to decipher who did it. For the most part, the story moves at a brisk pace and each character has their moment to provide backstory and find laughs along the way. It’s not until midway through ACT II that the questioning starts to wear thin (Who was in the cellar? Who was in the kitchen?) and you’ll find yourself ready for the detective to wrap this case up. Yes, it has a “surprise” ending (only to those who are unfamiliar with murder mysteries), but the big reveal is somewhat anticlimactic and the show ends with perhaps the most mundane line in whodunit history.
Growing up in the theatre as a performer affords a person with the knowledge and understanding of how all the elements of a great show should come together. As children we are sponges and we learn through osmosis. We know things we don’t even know we know. First-time director Bruce Huffman has been on Memphis stages from a very young age and here he proves that he knows intuitively how to put on a show. There’s a “theatricality” on display here that automatically heightens the experience in powerful ways. For example, while most non-musicals leave the scenery exposed for the entering audience to see as they take their seats, Huffman chooses to hide the magnificent set (another spectacular design by Jack Netzel-Yates) with TM’s glorious, opulent red grand drape. Then, with the reveal of the music, costumes and actors, the audience immediately knows we are safe in Huffman’s very capable hands.
As a cast, the performers share the stage equally and respectfully. They’re each fully committed to their characters, but never pull focus or overwhelm each other. Be it Italian, Scottish, or Cockney, all of them sound authentic and can be easily heard. Their collective realism (for a murder-mystery styling) allows them to find the humor and fun throughout and keep things humming (except for mid-way through ACT II when the redundant questioning starts to become tedious).
Some of the highlights include Susan Brindley (after her dynamic performance last season in MASTERCLASS) as the exasperating socialite, Mrs. Boyle. She complains about any and everything and continuously finds ways to be offended at every turn. Brindley’s choices are fun and entertaining throughout.
Tony Isbell (a Memphis staple) shines as the Italian traveler (Mr. Paravacini) who gets stuck in the snow and seeks shelter for the night. Isbell’s character is menacing and creepy in ways that confirm a murder is just around the corner. Few have the talent to elicit guffaws from an audience with one single finger like Mr. Isbell has. He’s perfect.
Fresh off his marvelous performance in WAITRESS at Playhouse on the Square, Stephen Garrett is back on stage here as Detective Sergeant Trotter. Like in most of his portrayals, Garrett is wonderfully understated and brings a naturalism to everything he does. Here he is quite believable as a detective just trying to gather information, but needs to be wary of letting the repetitive questioning of the suspects bog down the pace of the show.
Finally, Franklin Koch delivers a knockout performance as Christopher Wren, the architect guest who flamboyantly lives his life in unapologetic ways. His comedic timing is always spot on and his mischievous toying with everyone he meets keeps things fresh and unpredictable. He’s superb!
THE MOUSETRAP is a solid show from top to bottom. Fans of Agatha Christie will feel right at home with this production. Like most “whodunits,” knowing what is going to happen is not what it’s all about. It’s about who did it. Rather than looking for an experience in novelty, instead, enjoy the reminiscence of history. There must be a reason this show is STILL running on London’s West End after 70 years and seeing this show is necessary for all wannabe educated theatrical fans. It provides a context for all that have followed in its footsteps. Being one of the firsts doesn’t always equate to being one of the best, but it’s still going. Why is it still going? That, my friends, is the true mystery.
Photos by Carla McDonald
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