‘Mousetrap’ True to Time, Place of Christie’s Puzzle

It must have been nice being Agatha Christie’s young nephew, basking in the reflected fame of his aunt. It must have been even nicer discovering that she had signed over the royalties for “The Mousetrap” to pay for his college education. That was in 1950. The play is still running in London, making him a very rich nephew indeed.

What has kept the old-fashioned play on stage continuously since then?

It is, after all, built around a hoary theatrical gimmick: a group of supposed strangers gather on a dark and stormy night in an out-of-the-way guest house in the English countryside. There are a few illogical turns in the plot and several chances for the overacting that was common mid-century but is less popular today.

Nevermind all that. The simple reason for its longevity is that it’s smashing fun, and the Christie touch allows each production to develop its own personality and charm. The current revival at the Long Beach Playhouse, directed with style by Warren Davis, rises comfortably to the author’s standard.

Following a BBC announcement of a murder in London, heard at the opening, the first guests in Mollie and Giles Ralston’s new guest house begin to arrive: flamboyant, young Christopher Wren, impossibly nasty Mrs. Boyle, the charming and pleasant Maj. Metcalfe and the mannish but refreshing Miss Casewell. An unexpected guest, the exotic Mr. Paravicini, joins after his auto slides into a snowy ditch nearby.

No one is who he seems to be, and, in a typical Christie ploy, most turn out to have some connection with that afternoon’s murder. They also are connected with an earlier crime, but for those who still haven’t seen this venerable vehicle, that’s about enough explanation. Christie has may surprises in store.

The cast’s British accents are fine, and Donna Fritsche’s costumes are accurate to the period, as is Linda Garen Smith’s sitting-room design. The cast also maintains a well-developed sense of time and place.

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In fact, the only problem is the production’s leisurely timing, which can detract from the suspense. Some of the slowness can’t be helped because of a necessary coat rack in a hallway offstage, requiring the actors to climb the theater’s stairs to retrieve a coat, scarf or hat. Quicker picking up of cues and brighter splashes of action during tense moments would help.

The performances are excellent, from Lisa Jane Dunlap’s controlled but often edgy young wife and Todd Weldon’s properly lumpish husband to Jason Clark’s irascible and businesslike police sergeant. They are three solid performances.

Tom Moses’ detailed Maj. Metcalfe is charming, and Michael Meagher’s delightful Wren is as fluttery as his namesake, without carrying it too far. And Laura Standley’s pants-wearing Miss Casewell succeeds with restraint and interesting subtext.

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Terra Shelman, an ogre of a Mrs. Boyle, might soften her edges without losing the fine shape of her character.

The powdered and rouged Paravicini is always played to the edge of overboard, but that style is right for the period and Christie’s sense of humor: Antonio Ramon Villarreal walks that line well.

* “The Mousetrap,” Long Beach Playhouse Mainstage, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday and Jan. 17 & Feb. 7. $12-$15. Ends Feb. 13. (562) 494-1616. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.

Lisa Jane Dunlap: Mollie Ralston

Todd Weldon: Giles Ralston

Michael Meagher: Christopher Wren

Terra Shelman: Mrs. Boyle

Tom Moses: Maj. Metcalfe

Laura Standley: Miss Casewell

Antonio Ramon Villarreal: Mr. Paravicini

Jason Clark: Detective Sgt. Trotter

A Long Beach Playhouse revival of the Agatha Christie thriller. Directed by Warren Davis. Scenic design: Linda Garen Smith. Lighting design: Chad Brook. Sound design: Ron Wyand. Technical director: Rand Hudson. Costume design: Donna Fritsche. Stage manager: Maya M. Edwards.