Longtime Memphis thespian Bruce Huffman saw his directorial debut last weekend with the opening of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap at Theatre Memphis. Anyone familiar with Christie’s work will understand why this play is a fitting choice for October. Macabre and suspenseful, The Mousetrap is a multi-faceted character study with an array of roles any actor would die for — which is apt, as this play is also, of course, a good old-fashioned whodunit murder mystery.
The Mousetrap opens as so many of Christie’s great works do, with establishing a setting where a group of eccentric strangers are inevitably thrown together with no escape in sight. In this case, the story takes place in the out-of-the-way Monkswell Manor, just opened by newlyweds Mollie and Giles Ralston, played by Taylor Ragan and Kinon Keplinger, respectively. The manor’s grand opening is thrown off by several unexpected arrivals, first of a snowstorm, and then of a man who embodies the very definition of “eccentric,” one Mr. Paravacini, played by Tony Isbell. The other guests come in one by one, and as the audience is introduced to the colorful cast, it quickly becomes evident that every one of them has something to hide.
It is revealed that a murder has taken place, that of one unfortunate Maureen Lyon, and as the play goes on, we realize the mysterious Ms. Lyon was connected to several of Monkswell Manor’s guests. Almost immediately it becomes clear that the audience shouldn’t just be trying to puzzle out who the murderer is — we’re also meant to figure out who the next victims are. Theatrical history buffs may know that Christie was always rather annoyed with theater critics who revealed the endings of her plays; therefore, in honor of her memory I will attempt to not give too much away. This play is one that, in typical Christie fashion, turns the mystery inside out and on its head before the curtain falls.
Whether it’s too easy to figure out or not isn’t really the point; the fun of this show is in watching the cast flesh out the campy, over-the-top characters. After all, if a dramatic period-piece murder mystery isn’t the place for outrageously hyperbolic caricatures, then what is? Franklin Koch’s performance as the outlandish, free-spirited Christopher Wren feels as comfortably threadbare as a favorite T-shirt. Koch obviously knows this character through and through, and you’ll feel like you do, too. Meanwhile, Susan Brindley’s depiction of Mrs. Boyle is just as familiar, but as a character we all love to hate. Anyone in the audience who’s worked in any kind of service industry will enjoy watching multiple characters clap back at this 1950s version of a “Karen.” The entire company seems to be working together with the precision of a well-oiled machine.
Snow is mentioned often enough to almost be considered another character altogether, and as is common in many suspense stories, it acts not only as a tangible way of keeping the players isolated, but also as a metaphor — they’re hemmed in, physically and mentally. The cold also implies a certain stasis. Many of these characters are frozen in mindset, kept in place by horrors of the past or by their inability, deliberate or not, to grow up. My one issue with this play is the somewhat dated use of mental illness as a scapegoat. The societal embrace of both true crime and mental health in recent years has, I think, made modern audiences more aware of the fact that millions of people suffer complex trauma or have mental health issues and don’t commit any crimes as a result, let alone murder. I’m aware I might be unfairly evaluating this 20th century work through a 21st century lens, but it would feel disingenuous not to at least point out such antiquated thinking.
Despite that, the play is undeniably entertaining. The Mousetrap has been staged almost uninterruptedly since the ’50s for a reason — it’s a classic. Whether you’re the type who enjoys trying to tease out twist endings as you watch or whether you’d rather be kept guessing, this murder mystery is filled with such quality performances as to keep anyone entertained.
The Mousetrap runs at Theatre Memphis through October 27th.