New Victoria Theatre, Woking – until 7 September 2019
Reviewed by Becky Doyle
5*****
What an absolutely brilliant adaptation of the much loved story The Mousetrap. From the very beginning they had us guessing and wondering who on earth could be behind the London murder? Well it had to be the person wearing the black hat, light scarf and the dark overcoat of course?! But which one?!
The story was engaging and direct throughout with laughter through the mystery. My opinions on the culprit changed a number of times due to the sheer talent on stage and manner in which each character was portrayed. Each member of the cast played their character to their upmost and I cannot single out an individual as they all excelled and brought to life their act.
The props and the stage were laid out well and you could see all that was needed and intended from all areas of the audience. There were doors and crannys that led to various different hide always always where the murderer could be hiding. There was no music involved only that of a children’s nursery rhyme, which added suspense and an edge to each break away from screen or focus.
Before the show I had been told to expect suspense and ‘at the edge of your seat’ enjoyment, though I can honestly say that I wasn’t expecting half of what I got. During the interval you could hear others deliberating over who it could be, yet when the show came to a conclusion there were gasps and shocked faces. Up until the very end it could have gone a multiple of ways.
Overall, I would highly recommend this show to anyone who is looking for a thriller, with a little comedy and a lot of detective work with the challenge of whether they can work out who did it…?!