It may seem strange, but I always think it is fun to see a mystery play that I have seen before and therefore know the whodunit conclusion. I really like to see the pieces that the author or playwright have fashioned falling into place, as they distract and mislead while setting down the important factors of the crime and the mystery.
Over the years, Mrs. K and I have seen Agatha Christie’s wonderful story The Mousetrap presented several times by local community theatre groups, but B&B’s version is the first professional production of it we have witnessed.
Ms. Christie’s play opened in London’s West End in 1952 and has played continuously since then, save for a 14-month pause due to the COVID era. Last March, the show reached its 30,000th performance, making it the longest-running play in the entire world.
Directed by Eddie Curry, with set design by William Mohney, costumes by Kathy Henry, and wigs by Andrew Elliot, B&B’s production tasks the audience through Ms. Christie’s many red herrings, misdirections and falsehoods.
The story tells of Giles and Mollie Ralston, a young couple who have just opened a guest house and are expecting their first visitors. A typical Christie mix of suspicious characters arrive: Major Metcalf, an old army veteran; Miss Casewell, a mysterious young woman; Mrs. Boyle, an obstinate older woman; and Christopher Wren, a very unbalanced young man.
Snowy weather blocks the roads in and out and one unsettling late-comer arrives without notice: Mr. Paravicini, a foreign gentleman with a shady story about why he is there. A murder has taken place in London the previous day. Uncertainties about each of the visitors arise immediately and we are off! Soon, Detective Sergeant Trotter arrives via skis in the deepening snow to investigate the guest house as its address has appeared on some evidence from the recent London murder.
The cast (and the suspects) of Beef & Boards’ production of The Mousetrap. (Photo by Rob Slaven / IndyGhostLight.com)
Whatever you think is so probably isn’t. And everyone has a secret.
The cast is full of talented performers, most of whom we have seen here recently. Jae Woo, whom we last saw in The King and I, returns to play Giles Ralston. Hannah Embree, recently appearing in Million Dollar Quartet, takes the role of the secretive Miss Casewell. Veteran B&B players Susan Stark and Jeff Stockbridge are both sufficiently stodgy as Mrs. Boyle and Major Metcalf, while B&B regular Scot Greenwell is thoroughly convincing as Det. Sgt. Trotter. Adam du Plessis, late of Waitress, is an oily Mr. Paravicini, and Jonathan Cobrda, from the popular Tootsie, explodes into the role of Christopher Wren. Only Malia Munley makes her B&B debut, taking the role of Mollie Ralston.
It’s a marvelous ensemble, and as I watched the subtleties of their reactions to clues and accusations, I thought that all were on the mark to create the uncertainty Agatha Christie is so popular for.
Bottom line: This is an especially good entertainment if one has not seen this play beforehand. Truth is, nearly everyone I asked about having seen it previously had. Regardless, it’s a very popular play and I like that B&B has included it in their lineup this year and has peopled it with such an interesting cast. Very recommended!
The Mousetrap continues at B&B through Feb. 15. Dates and times for performances can be found by calling (317) 872-9664 or by visiting BeefAndBoards.com.
Read more great play reviews from A Seat on the Aisle at asota.wordpress.com.