With Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap enjoying its 70th Anniversary of (almost, thanks to COVID-19) continuously running in London, producer John Frost for Crossroads Live Australia has brought the stage production to Australia for a limited season in each state – allowing new generations of theatre-goers the chance to be in on the secrets and mysteries afoot at Monkswell Manor. As of yesterday evening, the production has started asking Queenslanders whodunnit, officially opening in the Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s (QPAC) Playhouse from now until 20 November 2022.
Tickets to the production are now on-sale via the QPAC website, or by calling their QTIX Box Office on 136 246. Each seat is priced between $69.00 AUD and $159.00 AUD, with pricing dependant on chosen session, reserve choice, and whether you have a concession card or are between 3 to 15 years old. I will be sharing my review of The Mousetrap in the next day or two.
The Mousetrap follows the guests and staff at Monkswell Manor, who find themselves trapped inside due to a snow storm, and the corpse of a local woman nearby indicates murder is afoot. It soon becomes clear that the killer is among them, and the seven strangers grow increasingly suspicious of one another. A police detective, arriving on skis, interrogates the suspects: the newlyweds running the house; a spinster with a curious background; an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef; a retired Army major; a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift; and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone. When a second murder takes place, tensions and fears escalate.
The Australian cast of this production includes:
| Character | Actor | Other Notable Productions |
|---|---|---|
| Mollie Ralston | Anna O’Byrne | My Fair Lady Love Never Dies |
| Giles Ralston | Alex Rathgeber | Anything Goes The Phantom of the Opera |
| Christopher Wren | Laurence Boxhall | As You Like It Jumpy |
| Mrs Boyle | Geraldine Turner | Present Laughter Don’s Party |
| Major Metcalf | Adam Murphy | Shakespeare in Love Aladdin |
| Miss Casewell | Charlotte Friels | Professional Stage Debut |
| Mr Paravicini | Gerry Connolly | Cyrano de Bergerac The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui |
| Detective Sergeant Trotter | Tom Conroy | Jasper Jones My Brilliant Career |
| Standby | Jack Bannister | Romeo and Juliet Lysa and The Freeborn Dames |
| Standby | Elisa Colla | My Fair Lady Wicked |
| Standby | Chris Parker | Daylight Savings The Club |
The Australian production of The Mousetrap will be touring Australia until at least June 2023, with confirmed stops in Adelaide’s Her Majesty’s Theatre in December, Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre in February 2023, and Parramatta’s Riverside Theatre in June 2023. More information on how to book tickets at each of these venues can be found on the official The Mousetrap Australian National Tour website.
