You’ve probably heard of Agatha Christie‘s The Mousetrap. But I’ll bet few of you reading this have ever seen it. In fact, I’ll admit I had never seen The Mousetrap either! Now, thanks to the Lehi City Arts Council, you have no reason to wait. We have a don’t-miss production right here in our own backyard, expertly guided by co-directors Paige Albrecht and Kurt Elison.
Now celebrating its 60th continuous year of live performances in London, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap gets the respect it deserves from Lehi Art Center’s excellent company. We’re very lucky to have this production in our community since the rights are strictly controlled.
This great classic murder-mystery has a plot that keeps the audience on their toes right up to the satisfying conclusion. In fact, this play is the template from which so much of the genre springs, though few can match Christie’s skill.
I was impressed as soon as I walked into the performance space. The old manor-turned-boarding-house was intimately evoked in a space that is perfect for eavesdropping on our colorful suspects. The three-quarter seating area surrounds a beautiful period set appropriately furnished and decorated, setting an elegant tone from the start.
Then it gets spooky. At curtain rise, we hear someone whistling that harmless little nursery rhyme, “Three Blind Mice.” It’s followed by the sound of a woman being murdered. My first thought was, “Well, this ought to be fun…” Let me tell you just how much.
The set made me feel like I was already where I should be. Costumes by Jean Hatch and Albrecht added authenticity as each player made their entrance. This small theater allows for a good look at production values, and they wisely sweated the details, right down to the seams of the ladies’ stockings. There were some clever touches as well. Two of the woman wore rhinestone pins – shaped like a mouse! If I may, let me suggest one tiny costume fix: a gentleman’s dark t-shirt showed through his white dress shirt. Nevertheless, these were the best costumes I’ve seen in quite a while.
Everyone, it turns out, has a motive for murder. And that’s true of the eight characters in this play, too.
Our first suspect, er, character, is the proprietress of Monkswell Manor, Mollie Ralston, played by Lacey Jackson. I was fascinated and curious about her immediately, as I was with most of the cast. Ms. Jackson is so good; all her reactions came off completely naturally. She loves her job, her husband and hides a secret that broke her heart.
Sterling Bronson plays Mollie’s husband, Giles, and his casting is a wonderful match to hers. Though not quite as comfortable on stage as Jackson, Bronson has a good voice, and employed a convincing accent with a clear personality. He should be careful of dropping his voice too much. In a few instances, I’m not sure he was heard in the back row, even though the space is small.
The first guest is Christopher Wren in an excellent portrayal right off the bat by Morley. Wren looks around the room and says, ”That’s fake” pointing at the desk. We’ll learn later why he’s good at spotting fakes. Morley’s every breath was perfect. At first, Wren seems flighty. Alone, snooping through the drawers of the manor’s sitting room, we wonder, is Wren who he seems to be – a young man adrift? Or did Christie – in 1952 no less – write the first gay character in the modern British theatre? Wren is played with deftness and sharp focus, but Morley never takes him over the top.
Then Mrs. Boyle arrives. Haughty and hard to please, she immediately alienates her hosts and puts a target on her back. She complains that “All the guests are unpleasant or odd.” Though Lisa Shaughnessy in this role may have indulged in a little mugging, it blended well with her comic timing.
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As the storm outside increases its threat to make the manor snowbound, Chuck Archer shows up in the role of Major Metcalf. He seems trustworthy, but he doesn’t say much – too little in fact. And why is he so interested in the basement?
Next we have a single woman showing up in mannish dress. Our curiosity is piqued. We learn Miss Casewell is an ex-patriot. But why? And she’s a busybody, too, snooping around the room when she’s alone. Here I’d like to mention a couple of performance aspects. As played by Jennifer Baldwin, the voice work was a little too quiet when she sat down. And though Miss Casewell may know her cigarettes, Ms. Baldwin clearly does not. Not being intrinsic to the character, it was not a good choice to have this actor fake smoking.
Our last guest bounds in with great energy. Well, he’s Italian – Mr. Paravicini. He seems a little too happy, especially since he just left his car totaled in a snowbank. Jack Kingsford pushes this character – and his great accent – to just this side of cheesy, getting our attention right away with his mysterious personality. And what’s up with this actor’s make-up? He should back it off a bit – oops – I’ve just been warned to stay off this “rouge and powder” spoiler alert. At any rate, Kingsford kickstarts every scene he’s in. His laugh is spontaneous and easy, and he expertly provides a creepy close to the first scene.
Finally we meet the police officer, Sgt Trotter, skiing through the window, as it were, to the now snowed-in guests. Nathaniel Brown is suitably officious, but it sometimes seemed to lead to a delivery that was just a tad flat. There were some halting lines, but Brown – with the help of an excellent working man’s British accent – made his character very clear as each new deduction unpacks the crime.
A quick technical note – probably fixed already: the lights lagged coming on at the end of Act One. The audience waffled a bit in confusion and didn’t seem sure whether this was a scene change or the intermission.
I might have paced this show just a little faster, but mostly, I just sat back and enjoyed watching and listening to the most evenly talented ensemble cast I’ve seen all year.
The directors’ attention to detail, great staging, flow of action, and actors – all with polished accents – made for a great evening. Upgrade your cultural literacy by seeing this production. Expertly told with a uniformly excellent cast and delicious production values, you have in Lehi Art Center’s The Mousetrap the best production I’ve seen all year.
This is a very short run, so it’s best to get your tickets now. Opening weekend was already sold out.
Reviewer Joel with Mousetrap co-directors Paige Albrecht and Kurt Elison
Lehi Arts Council presents The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie
Oct 19-20, 22, 25-27, 29 7:30 PM
Tickets: Adults, $8.00; Students and Seniors, $5.00
Lehi Arts Center, 685 N. Center St., Lehi, Utah
Contact: 801-766-0912
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