If you love a good murder mystery and trying to figure out whodunit then Agatha Christie's "Mousetrap" is a must see. The world's longest running play has been captivating audiences for more than 70 years and it is now gracing the stage of Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.
From the moment I entered the theater I was in awe of the elegant set as it is beautiful and just what I pictured Monkswell Manor to look like as it greets the audience and the guests that are about to visit in a remote area of Berkshire.
The guest house is run by an ambitious young couple, the Ralstons. Mollie is played beautifully by Actress Kate Whitworth and her husband Giles is played by James Arthel Reilly. The two have great chemistry and have mastered their British accents.
The couple is welcoming guests to their bed and breakfast just as a winter storm is about to take hold but that doesn't seem to stop the cast of characters from arriving including the snobby and prudish Mrs. Boyle played perfectly by Actress Shannon Connolly, a Broadway Palm favorite who is great in these character roles.
Actor Jordon Ross Weinhold plays the flamboyant Christopher Wren, who claims to be an architect.
Retired Major Metcalf is played by Robert Tully. Actress Danielle Standifer plays the unconventional Miss Casewell.
Then there are the unexpected guests that mysteriously show up creating suspicion right away including Mr. Paravicini played by Alex Dagg, who arrives and claims his car overturned in the snow. Actor Sean Fleming commands the stage as Detective Sgt. Trotter who arrives to inform the guests that they are all suspects in a murder case and he warns that one or more of them is about to be next.
I don't want to ruin the plot if you have plans to see this so I will be vague in saying that at least one of the guests becomes a victim of murder inside the home and each of the guests fear they could be next unless the murderer is discovered. They have no where to go as the blizzard makes escaping impossible and someone has cut the phone lines making a call for help impossible.
One of the guests is indeed the murder but can you figure out who it is? You might be surprised that it's perhaps the least expected and that is all I will say in hopes you can figure it out.
The show is brilliant, and Director Victor Legarreta has delivered a show to be proud of and my only regret is that he is not in it.
The pace of the show moves and keeps the audience on their toes looking for clues. The actors did not disappoint, delivering and developing each character and injecting comedy at just the right moments up until the shocking conclusion that leaves audiences talking.
Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" runs through September 21st. Tickets are available by calling the Box Office at 239-278-4422.