Review: The Mousetrap at Chesterfield's Pomegranate Theatre

Can you keep a secret by preserving the killer's identity in the world's longest-running thriller?
Louise Jameson plays Mrs Boyle and Oliver Gully plays Christopher Wren in The Mousetrap at Chesterfield's Pomegranate Theatre from March 7 to 12.Louise Jameson plays Mrs Boyle and Oliver Gully plays Christopher Wren in The Mousetrap at Chesterfield's Pomegranate Theatre from March 7 to 12.
Louise Jameson plays Mrs Boyle and Oliver Gully plays Christopher Wren in The Mousetrap at Chesterfield's Pomegranate Theatre from March 7 to 12.

The appeal to keep schtum comes at the end of The Mousetrap which has decamped to Chesterfield’s Pomegranate Theatre this week.

With the merest hint of a threat, the performer who is unmasked as the assassin urges his audience to preserve tradition by keeping the identity of the killer locked in their hearts.

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Far be it from me to commit reviewer’s suicide by spilling the beans - especially as I’ve waited nearly half a century to see Agatha Christie’s masterpiece.

My first theatrical experience was as a ten-year-old visiting London’s West End where my mum promised that we would see The Mousetrap - only to find that every performance was a sell-out. The consolation prize was Jesus Christ Superstar.

The wait was certainly worth it. Adulthood made me appreciate the first-class character acting, the twists and turns that the plot takes and an elaborate set which features arched door frames with intricate carvings and a window through which falling snow is glimpsed.

Louise Jameson of Doctor Who fame is the star name and plays crochety old lady Mrs Doyle who is forced to mix with strangers in a guest house where everyone seems to have an air of mystery.

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Brilliant performances come from Anna Andrews as landlady Mollie Ralston, Oliver Gully as excitable, child-like Christopher Wren and Lewis Collier as the inquisitive Sgt Trotter.

The Mousetrap is a real catch for the Pomegranate Theatre. If you want to be in on the secret, the thriller is running there until Saturday, March 12.