Review: Lackluster Script Makes 'The Mousetrap' Less Than Captivating
At the conclusion of Attleboro Community Theatre's production of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap," one of the actors stepped out and implored the audience not to reveal the identity of the murderer to anyone who hasn't seen the play.
I won't spoil anything, because the entire plot of "The Mousetrap" is based on misdirection. The essential elements of a Christie story are all here: an isolated setting, a group of disparate and colorful characters, a killer, and a lot of red herrings.
"The Mousetrap" is one of the longest-running plays of all time, having opened in London in 1952 and then run continuously until 2020. It reopened in 2021 following a year of COVID lockdowns.
This time the location is Monkswell Manor in the English countryside. Giles Ralston and his wife Mollie (Christopher Francis, Emily Rizza) have opened up the property as a guest house.
One by one the guests arrive, including the mysterious Christopher Wren, a brilliant architect; the elderly snob Mrs. Boyle (Alyce Fitzgerald); imperious Major Metcalf (Bruce Church); snarky Miss Casewell (Maggie Scarborough); and the bizarre Mr. Paravicini (Mark Carter).
They all learn of a woman's vicious murder, with the killer on the loose as a blizzard rages outside. Could one of the guests be the culprit? An intrepid policeman (Chase Struss) comes to investigate. Soon after, the lights go out, and someone else is murdered. Everyone is interrogated, and Christie establishes one character as the possible killer, then another, and so on. Giles and Mollie's relationship is stretched to the breaking point. The play ends with shocking revelations: Not everyone is who they appear to be.
Unfortunately, thanks to a lackluster script, what should be suspenseful and exciting ends up being unbelievably dull; there's just nothing fresh in this routine and by-the-numbers play.
Even so, the ensemble, under the direction of Marissa Simas, have fun with their characters. Ryan Vigneau camps it up as Wren in his flowered shirts and tight blue jeans, tossing off bon mots at everyone in his path. Vigneau exhibits a flamboyant personality and gets laughs with some weird behavior. At one point, he takes refuge behind some curtains.
Carter ("Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery") gives an inspired comic performance as the off-the-wall Paravicini. As Mollie, Rizza has to play out some different dimensions to her character and does it quite well.
As a showcase for actors, "The Mousetrap" is a joy. As a mystery, it's long-winded and dismal. That's a shame, because something truly compelling could be made out of a country house, some oddball inhabitants, and a killer.
"The Mousetrap" runs through September 29 at Attleboro Community Theatre, 71 North Main Street, Attleboro, MA. For tickets, call 508-226-8100 or visit www.attleborocommunitytheatre.net.