Strong Performances Amidst Changing Cast in Churchill's Mousetrap

If you’ve ever seen or read a story with a twist ending, then it was inspired in some way, shape or form by the many detective novels of Agatha Christie, who is arguably the most popular author of all time. In fact, her straight play, The Mousetrap, is the single longest running production in the world, having been performed on the West End over 22,000 times. The play is essentially a locked-room mystery; eight strangers are snowed-in at Monkswell Manor with the knowledge that one of them is a murderer. Of course, the residents soon begin dropping off one by one and it is up to the ever-determined Sergeant Trotter to save the day. In the case of ’s production of Christie’s , the twist ending is what draws audiences in, but the likeable characters and multifaceted storylines will keep them coming back for more.

The play is – at its core – an ensemble show, and Churchill was truly able to take advantage of the talent available by double casting the production. They also made the unique yet inspiring choice to switch between casts mid-production to provide the audience with what they call a “farcical” performance. While the switches were confusing at first, it did eventually become easier to differentiate between actors and it was very interesting to note differing character choices between the casts. Unfortunately, there would often be a disconnect in purpose and motive when actors would switch, disrupting the immersion of the murder-mystery experience. When taken as a whole though, the cast tackled this incredibly difficult production technique with poise and finesse.

At the threat of being sued by a cast member of Churchill’s Mousetrap or a descendant of Christie herself, I will not reveal the twist ending of the play in this review. I will say, however, that each and every actor used their prior knowledge of that twist ending to better their performance throughout the show. Laura Butvinik and Alex Bankier (as Sergeant Trotter) both took advantage of this, showing the audience glimpses of their true character, but keeping the remainder sealed beyond a curtain of mystery and doubt. They both moved the plot forward with their brusque mannerisms and dogged determination, helping the audience piece together the mystery of Monkswell Manor.

Alex Cosio-Marron and Monika Hammer (as Mollie Ralston) and Erik Rigaux and Daniel Metherell (as Giles Ralston) played off of each other beautifully as the married proprietors off the snowed-in manor. They were often paired with their spouse from the other cast, yet never seemed to miss a beat in terms of timing and emotional investment in the scene. As far as the whole cast was concerned, however, there did seem to be a few problems with maintaining accents and enunciating lines in the first act. That being said, the second act was much easier to follow and understand.

Sound design had a tough job in Christie’s Mousetrap, which often calls for background music to underscore the events on stage. None of the actors had microphones, so balancing dynamics between radio announcements (or the like) and an actor’s lines proved to be a challenge. This challenge was met with full force, and was very competently handled

The Mousetrap takes its audience on some very compelling surprise twists and turns before it reaches its dramatic conclusion.  More than the mystery and intrigue, however, I was sucked in to the world of Monkswell Manor by the charming nature and infectious energy of the entire cast.

Editor's Note: By Devin Goodman of Thomas S. Wootton High School through the high school Cappies program, the critics and awards program for high school theater. In this program, high school students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools and write reviews for local news publications. At the end of the year, student critics vote for awards that are presented at a formal Cappies Gala.