*****
PICTURE any house in the UK at the moment and, as a result of the referendum, you’ll notice a split. In fact the division is so great that you could make a new version of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, with Brexit being the cause of the murder.
Although this mousetrap is loaded with cheese, it still snaps when you least expect it
For now, though, Christie’s long-running play has developed a newfound relevance due to Westminster’s ever-changing political landscape.
One character asks another what’s in the news. “The usual political in-fighting”, they mutter, whilst another character talks about the country “going to the dogs”. The audience laugh heartily at these (normally) throwaway lines, as they perfectly reflect the turbulence of the last few days.
In terms of the narrative and characterisation, though, it’s the usual gathering of ‘Twit Brits’ who arrive in a guest house and discuss topics such as; social class, food, the news and the fact they don’t really know what makes each other tick. It’s snowing, and the phone lines are dead, when a policeman arrives to convey the news there is a murderer among them.
Cue eerie music on the radio, low level lighting and camp as Christmas performances - and you have all of the ingredients for a classic murder mystery. But it’s not all as straight-faced or stiff upper lipped as you might imagine: there are some genuine laughs to be had. Most of these come from the brilliant Gregory Cox as the enigmatic stranger Mr Paravicini, who prowls around the house laughing like the Count from Sesame Street. His accent deliberately wavers and he brings OTT comedy to this house of usual suspects.
Louise Jameson is also excellent as Mrs Boyle; a busybody living in the past, threatened by youth and bound by the rules of the upper classes. Anna Andresen and Nick Barclay, too, are both on fine form as the bemused guesthouse owners, who seem more irritated by the annoying guests than the fact that they are all on a hit list.
At times things get a bit clunky and signposted but that’s part of the joy here. Audience members sit with glasses perched on noses, suddenly resembling the likes of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot as the clues pile up as quickly as the bodies in the drawing room.
Given how unpredictable the current political turmoil is becoming, seen every time you switch on the news, there is something strangely comforting about The Mousetrap. When one character refers to another as a "foreigner", you realise the times ain't really changing that much.
The second half does drag a little and the repetitive nature of the play might not engage those new to Agatha Christie’s narrative techniques - yet this is a classic whodunit and it’s far sharper, funnier and exhilarating than many modern stage thrillers.
So take your magnifying glass, note pad and an open mind; because, although this mousetrap is loaded with cheese, it still snaps when you least expect it. And almost 65 years on, it still delivers.
Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap is at the Manchester Opera House until 2 July.
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