The Mousetrap is a West End institution, running for 73 years and despite seeing hundreds of shows over the years The Mousetrap was not one of them….so I decided to finally put this right and attended show number 30,198.

At the end of the show the cast ask you to help keep the secret of the Mousetrap and not reveal ‘whodunnit’ so please rest assured that this review is spoiler free and the secret is safe with me!

The play itself is by the legendary Agatha Christie and it is a brilliant murder mystery which keeps the audience guessing right up until the end, as all good murder mysteries should do. With husband and wife Mollie and Giles Ralston running their newly opened guest house and Christopher Wren, Mrs Boyle, Major Metcalf, Miss Casewell and Mr Paravicini all staying their during a snow storm, Detective Sgt Trotter arrives to attempt to solve a murder. The story feels familiar with Christie inspiring many similar style whodunnit productions but this familiarity doesn’t hinder the enjoyment.

The characters are well drawn and each character has a reason for suspicion which helps draw out the tension and has the audience second guessing themselves. The characters are also wonderfully distinct from the other from Cristopher Wren who is childlike and keen to impress Mollie to Mrs Boyle, unhappy by the slightest inconvenience within the guest house.

Casting across the board is excellent – Georgina Duncan and Sam Hollis play Mollie and Giles Ralston respectively and Duncan was captivating from the start and her relationship with Hollis was utterly believable. Adam Woolley played the role of Christopher Wren whose physicality was wonderful for the part and struck the right balance of being over the top enough to be different enough to the rest of the characters but still leave him someone to go for the rest of the show. Jack Condon took the role of Detective Sgt Trotter and had a commanding stage presence necessary for this role, commanding both the other characters respect along with the audiences.

The pacing was spot on thanks to direction by Philip Franks who knew just how and when to give the piece pace to breath to build up the tension but equally ensured that other moments were snappy so that the momentum of the piece was never lost.

The set remains true to the 1965 redesign and the saying ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,’ very much rings true to this set. It functions brilliantly with the entrances and exits helping with the aforementioned pacing. Equally the sound design was well balanced, ensuring that we could easily hear the dialogue whilst balancing the naturalistic feel of the piece.

Whilst The Mousetrap may not be the most exciting thing on in the West End it is worth seeing to feel part of West End theatrical history. The play is intriguing and enjoyable, full of tension and you will be able to say you are part of the club who does indeed know the secret.

The Mousetrap is currently booking until December 2025. You can book tickets here.

If you like this review you might also like my review for Witness for the Prosecution, Stereophonic and An Inspector Calls.