A show at the Royal Court Theatre rarely disappoints. In advance of taking your seat you know you are in for a belly full of laughs, mickey taking, wonderful scenery, bawdy language, over-acting and fourth wall breaking and you will exit into the night happier for the experience.
The Royal Court’s latest production, The Scousetrap, is another loony Liverpool take on a classic, this time the world’s longest running play, The Mousetrap by the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie.
The timing of this play could hardly be better with the murder mystery genre seemingly rebooted in recent years on both the big and small screens. If you thought Knives Out was amusing, the Scousetrap is just downright daft – a Carry On film colliding with a Norman Wisdom farce. It were ever thus though at this unique theatre.
It’s 1940 and the German Luftwaffe are carrying out a blitz of the city, home to the biggest port in the country, with its Atlantic advantage.
Set entirely in the Adelphi, (another fantastic set from takis) Lord Street, (David Benson, who also plays the Bishop of Birkenhead) the philandering and eccentric First Lord of the Admiralty, is attempting to maintain the war effort by rooting out any German spies. He is helped by the city’s greatest private detective, Miss Inga Marble (Eithne Browne) and visiting French policeman Inspector Gajé (Gabriel Fleary). It isn’t long before the randy Admiral is bumped off and our two bloodhounds are on the scent.
The cast also includes Helen Carter as socialite Lady Barking Dobson, Liam Tobin as an American toy salesman (or is he?) W.C. Groper and Zain Salim as the hotel manager Hans Free. Jack Lane plays Norman and Keddy Sutton is variously Polly, Molly, Dolly and Holly, and both actors had the audience in stitches.
While the body count builds (with hilarious dummies) the first half is merely amusing – slapstick and double entendre abound – rather than dead funny and it isn’t until the second act when The Scousetrap really hits its stride. These shows always work best when there’s a song and dance number and after the curtain rose so did the frenetic energy.
There’s a great scene of dialogue all taken from the movies and a madcap chase, but the stand out moment is the séance with each of the talented cast taking a turn to impress us with impersonations – yes Cilla and Doddy are in there – but David Benson’s extended Frankie Howerd is top drawer.
There is, as might be expected, much homage to Agatha Christie and indeed Miss Marple, one of her two most famous creations and we heard music both from ITV’s Miss Marple and from the films of Margaret Rutherford’s turn as the spinster super sleuth.
If you’re fan of crime fiction and indeed Agatha Christie and a Scouser this is not be missed but be sure not to give away the ending!
The Scousetrap runs until 29 October 2022. Tickets: The Scousetrap – Royal Court Theatre (liverpoolsroyalcourt.com)
Jonathan Caswell
