Squeaking in silence

The British Theatre Playhouse’s touring production of Dame Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” last weekend at the Aksra Theatre proved again why this whodunit is, after 60 years, still entertaining audiences in London’s West End. Christie was not only good at keeping her audiences guessing in her signature murder mystery but her characterisations of people from different social classes were also second to none.
Most of the all-British cast members had performed various roles in different productions of “The Mousetrap” before, no doubt one of the reasons for their effortless blending in this production.
My personal favourites were Sarah Whitlock, as Mrs Boyle, and Richard Keightley as Christopher Wren, whose characterisations were so vivid that their energy filled the entire theatre. Director Denise Silvey went by the book in her staging and kept the play generally at a good pace. At no time did the 60-year-old drama feel like a senior citizen.
A major problem was the venue. which was not built for spoken drama with the result that only the audience members sitting in the front section — who paid Bt 4,000 a ticket or Bt 1,000 more than their Singaporean counterparts — could actually hear the dialogue clearly. This was notwithstanding the presence of two microphones downstage.
The set didn’t fill up the stage or help with the actors’ voices, with the unused fore-stage area, making the dramatic action seem even farther away. It was also quite evident also that the cast and director didn’t have enough time to adjust to this stage. Another problem was with the Thai surtitles, the translation of which seemed to have been rushed and which occasionally were projected four lines at a time. All of these mishaps were perhaps partly due to the communication problem between the touring company and the local producers, Secret Service and Eleven Live, who have more experience in concerts.
Interestingly, the press release proudly announced that this was the “first ever” production of the play in Bangkok. However, I remember very well watching a memorable Dass Entertainment’s production of “The Mousetrap” under the Thai title “Kab Dak” and directed by Damkerng Thitapiyasak, more than two decades ago at AUA Auditorium.
The tagline “Direct from West End” was also hyperbole, as this is not a cast that is currently performing together in the West End. It also
 made me wonder why we’re still being stuck with the nostalgia of “The Mousetrap” while theatre
 audiences in Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand earlier this year enjoyed the National Theatre’s West End production of “One Man, Two Guvnors”.

On to Singapore
“The Mousetrap” is at Raffles Hotel’s Jubilee Hall from tomorrow to October 13, daily except Monday. Tickets are from SGD 90 (Bt2,250) to SGD 120 at www.Sistic.com.sg.
For more information, visit www.BritishTheatrePlayhouse.com.