Review: Phillip Bate
In faithful compliance with the conspiracy of silence entered into by everyone who has seen Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, I have agreed to continue this silence by promising not to reveal any of the secrets relating to its climax, therefore letting people enjoy discovering for themselves ‘whodunnit’.
Normally it’s a safe assumption to believe ‘the butler did it’ but in this long-running play there is no butler. Instead, the ‘whodunnit’ riddle is easily solved – namely the Chelmer-based Centenary Theatre Group (CTG) which secured amateur theatre rights to stage the play in Brisbane from September 3 to 24.
The Mousetrap opened in London’s West End on October 6, 1952 and has been running continuously since then. As such, the ‘conspiracy of silence’ predates Maxwell’s Smart’s ‘Cone of Silence’ by some 13 years.
Actually, it’s the second time I’ve taken the ‘oath of silence’ as I originally saw the play in London some 25 years ago. And in the best ‘whodunnit’ tradition I have a confession to make – I went to sleep in London so I couldn’t spill the beans even if I wanted to.
This time it was easy to stay awake as the plot thickens. While I’m not at liberty to reveal who actually ‘did it’, suffice to say that director Kurt A Lerps has assembled a fine cast of eight actors who could have ‘dunnit’. The action takes place in the Great Hall at Monkswell Manor.
While it’s a dark, snowy evening outside, set designer Sue Watson has created a cosy retreat inside as newly married couple Mollie (Sarah Fowkes) and Giles (Brad Ashwood) prepare to receive their paying guests. A radio newsflash – a desperate murderer is on the run. The guests arrive.. The trap is set.
It’s a case of who’s ‘taking in’ whom with five eccentric guests who wouldn’t be out of place in another famous guest house – Fawlty Towers.
Twee young architect Christopher Wren (Paui McGibbon), snobbish Mrs Boyle (Meredith Downes), retired Major Metcalf (Chris Guyler), demure Miss Casewlll (Meg Hinselwood) and broken-down motorist Mr Paravicini (Erik de Wit) all revel in their roles, as does the ‘ever-present’ policeman Detective Sergeant Trotter (Andrew Clulow). Not that the hosts aren’t equally devious. Brad Ashwood as Giles plays his role as a ‘worry-wart’ to perfection while Sarah Fowkes as Mollie finds it’s ‘murder’ trying to keep the customers satisfied.
As a point of interest, Chris Guyler is a son of original 1952 cast member the late Deryck Guyler who can still be heard more than 24,000 performances later, via a recording, reading the radio news bulletin in the London-based play to this present day.
Above: From left: Andrew Clulow as Sgt. Trogger, Brad Ashwood at Giles Raslton, Meg Hinselwood as Ms. Casewell, Erik de Witt as Mr. Paravicini and Paul McGibbon as Christopher Wren
