All goes wrong when the guests of Monkswell Manor are snowed into their charming accommodations with a murderer amongst them. Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is the longest running play on the West End for good reason. Its 72 year run has continued to delight, surprise, and entertain audiences as they are immersed into one of Christie’s unique and thrilling stories. Here’s why this play deserves the iconic renown which is boasts with a bright red sign atop St. Martin’s Theatre.

I obviously will not delve into the story itself, however, Christie never ceases to amaze me. She provides charismatic characters, all of whom raise suspicion yet evoke empathy out of viewers. As the play seamlessly transitions from scene to scene, our attentions are diverted from one character to the next, from one event to another. The only thing that I predicted was that I would be surprised by the ending, which was certainly right. One of the most respectable aspects of this performance is that the production team truly does justice to Christie’s story, and her genius remains at the heart and soul of the play. Comparing The Mousetrap to other visual works such as Branagh’s version of Death on the Nile or even Murder on the Orient Express is a painful one, as the films focus too much on the aesthetic Art Deco world rather than the complexity of Christie’s plot. The Mousetrap far exceeded these recent film adaptations because it clearly respected Christie’s intelligence and held it to a very high importance.

The set was also fantastic. As characters stumbled through the door dusted with snow, the audience was enveloped into the blizzardous night. As characters turned the radio on and off, the audience were transported back to the 1950’s, the era in which the play takes place. It is expected that The Mousetrap would have a beautiful set and strong technical aspects because of its long stay at St. Martin’s Theatre, and it did not disappoint. 

The actors also put on wonderful performances. They clearly understood the nuances of Christie’s script, and all played their roles honestly and believably. One notable aspect about the play is that the actors were able to be lost within their characters. This allowed audience members to be completely absorbed into the story and to be excited by it.

Christie’s play is also fabulous because it is accessible to a wide range of people. You don’t have to be into musicals to like The Mousetrap. You don’t have to be into plays to like it. You don’t even have to be into theatre to have a good time. If you enjoy a murder mystery or even just a good story, I am confident that you will enjoy The Mousetrap. It is one of London’s most iconic plays partly because it was written by the world’s best-selling author of all time, but also because so many people can enjoy it. It is wonderfully written, wonderfully produced, and wonderfully performed. Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap has deserved every run over the past 72 years and many, many more!