A national tour of The Mousetrap is long overdue, and it’s a decent play that’s worth seeing. And yet …
So, after sixty years, finally a chance to see The Mousetrap outside of the West End. And so it should. No play, however, successful, should be treated as the West End’s property indefinitely. When a play is that popular, it’s only right that as many people as possible should have the chance to see it. Yes, anyone who wants to see a West End play that badly is welcome to book a holiday in London, but that’s a very expensive way of doing it. No, as far is I’m concerned, the more, the merrier.
The Detective did it.
When a play attains this kind of mythical status, it has a lot to live up to. Everybody, even West End audiences, has to brace themselves for the occasional dud. But for something in the top ten longest-running plays, let alone the world record holder, expectations go up a few notches. Well, I can now advise the The Mousetrap is no West End dud: it’s a decent mystery that’s faithful to the format that Agatha Christie created so successfully, and true to form, it keeps people guessing to the end.
The Detective did it. Continue reading
Chris Neville-Smith's blog on theatre 