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__________________________________________________________________ I saw "The Mousetrap" a little while ago and am totally amazed that it has lasted over
fifty years. Twenty minutes into the play I was incredibly bored. By the end I was too
busy thinking of other things to actually work out who did it. All I can
remember is a lounge room and people sitting around talking. Was about as riveting
as going to my grandmother place for afternoon tea as a child.
Needless to say,
I don't recommend anyone spending good money to go and see something quite so
bad... unless you have a bad case of insomnia and are looking for a cure!!
_______________________
Saw "The Mousetrap" last night (30th April 2004). Enjoyed it, but
have to admit I only went so that I could "cross it off my list" so to
speak. I felt duty-bound to go and see something that has been running for 50
years.
Sat in row A (11 and 12) of the Upper Circle - good view but terrible
leg room. Did a monkey trick in the Interval and relocated to the front stalls -
the theatre was half empty - nobody seemed to notice / care.
Nice announcement by "the murderer" at the end of the curtain call
as to not reveal "whodunnit!"
_______________________ Saw the matinee on Tuesday 31st August 2004. Good show,
I thought. All the subtleties made it good, like the slightly melodramatic
acting! Barfly
_______________________ We saw The Mousetrap last night (12th December 2005) and
had a thoroughly good time. I'm no expert but I'd say that it was a faultless performance. We
really got into it, as did others, and the 'whodunnit' chatter could be
heard during the interval.
The plot is excellent with lots of little twists along the way. I can see
why this show has lasted so long. I know who the culprit is now but I've
been sworn to secrecy by one of the cast! I didn't guess that they'd done it
but my girlfriend did.
We sat in the stalls, along with 30 or so other people. There were others
sitting in the circle seats, but not many. It wouldn't have mattered if it
had been just my girlfriend and I there to be honest because the ambience of
the theatre is almost tangible.
I'm over six foot tall and was glad that I had booked an aisle seat although
we could have sat in row G or anywhere else if we had wanted to move. My
girlfriend is 5'4" and said that she could have done with a bit more
legroom. I would recommend that if you get a chance reserve seats in row G.
We would highly recommend this show even if you just go there with the
intention to cross it off the list. You'll be glad that you went.
______________________ Great stuff!
I am *so* not a theatre goer. I can't help comparing plays to movies,
and in that light even the biggest production invariably comes off
looking like low budget fare. The few plays I've been dragged to over the years, have either held me
in a near sleep state, dreaming of ways to make my escape, or in the
worst (read: artsy) cases, wishing for the "break a leg" phrase to
come true for one or more of the actors.
Still, being in London for the first time and considering the
extremely high regard I have for British TV actors, who I know often
have theatre backgrounds, I felt almost duty bound to go see a play.
Browsing the theatre guide, my eyes fell upon the small, blue add for
"The Mousetrap".
Always having loved Agatha Christie's whodunnits, I figured this one
something of a safe bet. Anyway, having run for over 50 years, how
bad could it be?
Well, I'm very glad I chose "The Mousetrap", because not only was it the
most enjoyable time I've ever spent in a theatre (admittedly not a
major accomplishment), but it was thoroughly enjoyable time spent in
it's own right.
Not a large production by any stretch, the single set provided
everything necessary.
The cast (7th April 2006) did a brilliant job with just the right
amount of overacting for what was just as much of a comedy as a
murder mystery.
Whether that was how it was meant to be played in the 1950s I've no
idea, but it was great entertainment here and now.
I'd recommend it to anyone who are really into whodunnits. Especially
those who aren't too sure about this whole theatre thing.
KR
Denmark
_____________________ I sat in the Dress Circle, row C (seat 10) to watch
Theatreland's most famous production. Plenty of leg room ensured no aching legs,
however I was unlucky enough to have someone 6ft plus sat in front of me. As a
result part of the stage was obscured, but this did not spoil the enjoyment.
I don't want to give anything away especially as you are requested at the finale
not to reveal the identity of the murderer to any person who hasn't seen The
Mousetrap.
I will however state that the actors who took part in this production were
fantastic, especially the actor who took the part of Christopher Wren who was
extremely entertaining.
Go and see "The Mousetrap", no visit to Theatreland whilst in London is complete
without going to see it.
______________________ 16th November 2007:
The cast make a good job of it but its not exactly a great play as
its longevity would suggest. It has enough charm to fill the first
act and the second enjoys sending you down the wrong paths, twisting
and turning until the final Revelation - which you wont see coming
but then also won't ever truly "care" about.
However its the experience as a whole - the utterly charming
wooden theatre, the clockwork presentation of the piece and the
entrance into the "club" (of both being a part of this historical
play and knowing the ending) that makes it a wonderful cultural and
historical experience, rather than a dramatic one. Its almost a
museum to post war theatre. In short;
"It exists in celebration of its own continued existence"
Seat information I've gathered from 1995 and 2003 (approx):
Mousetrap seats: they are all cramped and wooden with little leg
room and certainly no width; and their sweeping arch means its a
gamble if you get legroom due to the seat in front being curved.
The View from Row B aisle of upper circle was surprisingly the best
of my 3 visits and was VERY cheap - though I was glad to be able to
swing my leg into the aisle, and then swapped with the man on the
other side for the interval so both legs got a stretch - worked for
us both. The height gives it a slightly grander view and allows you
to see the character rather than the actor - (which in something so
full of stereotypes - lets you know where you stand)
The rear Dress Circle was god awful - no decent rake, no leg room
and very stuffy.
The front centre stalls had better leg room, and you were right in
the thick of it, but somehow, seeing the actors so clearly took away
from my enjoyment of this show - Up close it all looks more real and
as such its downfalls are magnified and you don't get the period
feel with modern faces; from a height its almost time travel, as
though your looking down on a show from 50 years ago.
Matinees are packed with school - however school kids can control
themselves in this sort of play in a way they clearly can not when
watching something interactive and thrilling like the "Woman in
Black".
Aitchy
PS- the total weight of those tiny ice cream pot over the years
equates to just under two and a half 747 jumbo jets!
________________________ Took my sophisticated 12-year-old
daughter to this and she loved it! Wildly dated but still fun and
the ending is a great surprise. She’s telling all her friends to go.
Sat in Upper Circle F3 and 4 which are directly under massive fan –
before we expired of hypothermia, we were all allowed to move
forward because the theatre was half empty (a popular Monkey ploy, I
think I remember). We ended up in A 8 and 9. The bar didn’t prevent
us from seeing anything relevant in this production.
But if you were ever to add a section for recommended seats for
menopausal women prone to hot flushes, F 3 and 4 and the equivalent
on the other side of the aisle are probably more efficient than HRT...
________________________ 14 November 2009
Bought tickets online for 'The Mousetrap' - great show, but thought
I would share my thoughts on the seats I bought.
Seats D5 and D6 in the Upper Circle - paid £25 online but actually
could buy for £20 at the theatre - if you buy one week in advance
there is plenty of availability.
The seats had NO legroom and I am only 1.72 m (5' 8"). Good view and
could hear everything. The biggest problem was the heat. Everyone
was peeling off layers, since the ceiling fan is only on before the
show and during intervals. Would not buy these seats again. Noticed
that Row A had much more legroom but restricted view with safety
bar.
R.Durack
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