at Springhouse Theatre
Fun With The Mousetrap
Agatha Christie has sold more than two billion copies; she’s only been outsold by the Bible and William Shakespeare. While she’s most famous for her many mystery novels (78 in total), she wrote many plays. Some of her plays are adaptations of her novels, like Appointment with Death, which has a completely different (and in my opinion, better) solution than the book. The Mousetrap began as a 30 minute radio play, originally titled Three Blind Mice, which Christie later adapted into a short story. She adapted it into a full-length stage play in 1952, changing the name because another play already had that title.
The Mousetrap has the longest run of any play in history, beginning in 1952 and continuing to this day, celebrating its 30,000th performance in West End last year. Not only is this an interesting record, but this prosperous success is actually a cause of scarcity: in the original contract for the play, no film adaptation can be made until the play has ceased its run. The closest a movie has gotten is in the delightful 2022 film See How They Run, in which The Mousetrap is a major part of the plot. So while there are countless film adaptations and remakes of most of Christie’s works, there’s only one way to see The Mousetrap: at a live theater. I was thrilled to get to see this play for the first time.
The murder mystery play is set in the 1950’s at Monkswell Manor, an isolated old house that a young couple has just turned into a guest house. As they anxiously prepare for the arrival of their first guests, we hear over the radio that a murder occurred in London that afternoon. The winter weather, which has been bad, grows worse, and all are snowed in with two unexpected guests.
Springhouse Theatre in Smyrna brings us the play. I attended April 24th, opening night, and since this was my first experience at this particular theater, I’ll write about it for other first-time visitors. Springhouse Theatre is connected (both architecturally and through leadership) with Springhouse Church, and their goal is to perform plays, Christian or not, that “delight and provoke.” This theater company has been performing for over 20 years, and its building is close to I-24 and is quite comfortable, with a large stage and audience seating for hundreds. There is also a concession area that provides inexpensive snacks and drinks, including coffee and tea.
The stage is uncurtained and the set is massive. Set Designer Joseph Broome provided a huge set with a grand hall, kitchen, library, on the stage, three smaller rooms on the ground between seating and stage, and then a second floor with four bedrooms. In the program, Director Hunter Thaw explains that their version of The Mousetrap starts with the idea that “privacy is an illusion. We have created what we’ve come to call a ‘dollhouse mystery,’ where the audience is given full access to each character… in a story built on secrecy, we invite you to see everything… and to question what that really means.” This visual richness is an interesting choice, and the large intricate sets are impressive. Each character is visible somewhere on stage for most of the show. This choice would have been more fun if it had not caused pauses as we watched characters physically travel long distances across the stage, several times descending the flights of stairs from the second story, before they could deliver their lines.
Matching the quality of the set, the props are excellent. I’m no expert on period furnishings, but everything looked really good, from the furniture to the radio. The costumes are also excellent, matching the time, the style of the character, and fitting perfectly on the actors.
The first aspect of the performance that surprised me, as someone who had read the play but never seen it, is how funny it is. It’s not a comedy, but there’s certainly a lot of humor in it, both in the script and added by the cast. Each of the eight characters has their own sense of humor (or comical lack thereof), and it’s entertaining to watch. An extensively traveled woman, Christie captures the awkwardness and conflicts that occur when strangers share spaces, especially in the time before screens and headphones.
The cast have a lot of fun with their roles, and I’ll just mention a few: Gretchen Eckert as the relatably stressed Mollie Ralston; Stephanie Jackson who gives Mrs. Boyle (a horrible sour woman) a mincing walk that gets funnier and funnier as the show goes on; Paul Sussman as the lively and ridiculous Mr. Paravicini; and Charlotte Myhre Shealy with her dry delivery of lines.
The play is a classic for a reason, and I had a great time at Springhouse Theatre’s production. I’d recommend seeing the show whether you’re a lifelong whodunit fan like me, or if you’ve never experienced the genre. Can you figure out whodunit?
The Mousetrap will be at Springhouse Theatre through May 3rd. For tickets and more information, see here.
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A Nashville native and MTSU graduate, Grace Krenz is a reader, a writer, and an arts enthusiast. She lives in Nashville with her husband and two children.
That’s incredible, it’s amazing how many people have enjoyed her books over the years. It really puts her place in literary history into perspective.