The day after the Northern Lights made a stunning appearance around Gettysburg, Agatha Christie’s enduring mystery thriller “The Mousetrap” opened downtown at the Gettysburg Community Theatre on York Street.
First presented as a half-hour radio play in 1947, Christie grew the chilling tale — based loosely on the tragic real-life death of a British boy named Dennis O’Neill — into a short story entitled “Three Blind Mice” the following year. Expanded into a full-length play renamed “The Mousetrap,” the iconic whodunit premiered in London’s West End in 1952, beginning the longest run in theatre history (pausing only during the recent COVID-19 pandemic).
In real life, 12-year-old Dennis O’Neil was horrifically abused and died in the foster care of a Shropshire farmer and his wife. In Christie’s tale (directed here by Michael Baker with tech direction by Michael Connelly), a couple was sent to prison for causing the death of a young foster boy.
Only the wife survived the long stint in prison. When she rejoined society under the assumed name of Maureen Lyon, she was strangled in London shortly before the play begins; a notebook inscribed “Three Blind Mice” pinned to her body ominously reads, “This is the first.”
The murder mystery takes place at Monkswell Manor in Berkshire. As the lights rise on an escalating snowstorm at the newly converted guest house, Joshua Naderi as Christopher Wren is the first lodger to appear.
When newlywed innkeeper Giles Ralston (played by Jeb Beard) returns home wearing a dark overcoat and white scarf, his wife, Mollie (Vanessa Baker) turns on the radio and a news report describes the main suspect as a man wearing a dark overcoat, light scarf and a soft felt hat.
As eerie tones of the musical round of “Three Blind Mice” begin a recurring theme, Christie’s suspense is launched.
GCT’s intimate stage naturally fosters a close relationship with its audiences, and scenic artist Juls Buehrer and sound and lighting designers Michael Connelly and Nicholas L. Ryan make the most of the little theatre’s attributes.
An ominous energy cloaks the charming interior of Monkswell Manor.
Six more unvetted, mysterious strangers— several wearing dark overcoats and white scarves — and a detective trickle in. As the storm intensifies and the plot thickens, they lose access to the outside world and become stranded in a twisting game of life and death.
The cast members — Vanessa Baker as Mollie Ralston, Beard as Giles Ralston, Douglas D. Cooper as Major Metcalf, Naderi as Christopher Wren, Annette Perkins as Mrs. Boyle, Lindsey Ringquist as Miss Casewell, Dick Shoap as Paravicini, and Alex Wilson as Detective Sergeant Trotter — beckon viewers to the edge of their seats.
It only takes a moment to suspend disbelief as Naderi as Christopher Wren masterfully portrays a man much younger than his years. His fearless, sensitive and loveable performance provides most of the show’s comic relief.
As Mollie, Vanessa Baker delivers an outstanding, well-paced performance as the young innkeeper whose emotions run deep. She and Beard as Giles create fine chemistry building to a well-played marital spat.
And while all the actors deliver believable accents, Beard has the reserved nature of his Brit down pat. Cooper as Major Metcalf is also quite convincing — he delivers a strong and deliberate performance with boundless energy and verve.
In contrast, Ringquist as Miss Casewell is a carefully crafted mystery who uses understatement beautifully. Some of her physical poses are classic, and the moment she calls Mrs. Boyle a “bloody old bitch” complimented both actresses on Opening Night when a delighted audience member applauded.
And Perkins as Mrs. Boyle certainly does present her persnickety and wonderfully obnoxious character (one that audiences love to hate) with confidence and skill.
The enigmatic Paravicini (Shoap) shows up unexpectedly and seems to enjoy playing mind games. He also delivers a unique character, bringing his own mischievous energy to the mix with notable physicality and stage presence.
When Wilson (who shines in his charismatic GCT debut performance) as Detective Sergeant Trotter arrives on skis just before the phone lines are cut, a wild ride begins.
He reveals that Maureen Lyon once lived in a nearby house where she had abused foster children and a boy had died, that Monkswell Manor was also on the note pinned to her body, and that someone there — likely even the murderer —had a connection to the victim.
Every member of the eclectic cast easily falls suspect, but the “twist” at play’s end is sure to surprise.
And just as GCT artistic director Chad-Alan Carr requested pre-show, audiences are sworn to secrecy once the killer is revealed. As is customary in the history of this play, Wilson smoothly breaks the fourth wall as Detective Sergeant Trotter to beseech the audience to “keep the secret of whodunit locked in your heart” in a fitting tribute to the Queen of Crime.
Still going strong almost fifty years after the Dame’s death, Agathe Christie’s “The Mousetrap” remains one of the most historically significant shows in theater history with upwards of 29,000 performances and counting.
“The Mousetrap” continues to deliver chills and thrills through October 20 at Gettysburg Community Theatre, 49 York Street. Performances are 2 p.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. (Warning: recorded gun shots and stage weaponry.) General admission is $20. For tickets and more information, visit gettysburgcommunitytheatre.org.
