After nearly 75 years of dominating the West End as the ultimate murder-mystery show, Agatha Christie’s theatrical phenomenon continues to captivate worldwide audiences with its slaying narrative and surprising twists. Guillermo Nazara chats with the actor currently playing the enigmatic Detective Sergeant Trotter to learn more about his performance and how the company manages to keep the show alive after all this time.
How does it feel to star in the West End’s ultimate landmark?
The fact that’s been running for 74 years makes it a part of theatre history. As an actor, you’ve got a few shows lined up in your bucket list, and The Mousetrap has been in that list for quite a while now. It is such a pleasure to be living this part of theatre history night after night, and it still amazes me is that, after all this time, the show still sells out on a regular basis. That proves how much audiences love the show and how much it means to them. They come to enjoy a good murder mystery, and the fact that I play the detective in a whodunit is simply the cherry on top.
Fiction has evolved considerably over the past 70 decades. In your opinion, how has The Mousetrap preserved its appeal to younger generations?
There are a few factors. The first and main one is how popular Agatha Christie’s works are,. especially from all the novels that she wrote, which have such a strong fanbase. They are so captivating when you read them that new audiences are coming across them all the time. That interest has led many to learn about the play and finding out that it’s the world’s longest-running show.
We’ve had lots of international viewers, who have come from all places around the world to enjoy the London scene, and The Mousetrap is on the top of their lists for that reason. We also have many Agatha Christie fans, who have read every single book of hers, and schools — when a show transitions into a piece of theatre history, there’s a lot to be learned from it (techniques, structure, staging).
There are many interesting things in it that drama or literature students can be interested about. We can hear all these young people coming to see us being swept away with the drama and excitement. Some of them don’t even know what a straight play is, but after seeing the show, they just want to come see it again. Once you’re inside Monkswell Manor trying to solve the mystery, you’re in for a great evening.
The current performance features a fresher, higher-spaced style. What can you tell us about those directional changes?
That’s one of the most exciting things about doing this show now! Our new director wanted to fresh things up and invigorate it with a new energy. As a performer, it’s really thrilling to know that you can bring new things to a show that’s been running for so long. Everyone in the cast has added their own flair into it, which the director encouraged us to do.
Audiences have changed over the last 75 years, so we need to align with modern theatre and with what modern viewers expect. Our director went back to the descript and tried to find a way to get to the heart of the story as soon as possible. We are not wasting any time. Our version is substantially shorter than other previous incarnations, as our running time is roughly one hour and forty minutes instead of the traditional two hours.
As a result, it gets to the point, and as soon as you sit down, you’re wrapped up and plunged into the drama. That fast pace is what pushes us to drive forward. We are hoping to take our audiences on an emotional roller coaster. Our version is a little more chaotic, but in a good way!
As a performer, how do you convey Agatha Christie’s signature ‘everyone’s a suspect’ vibe?
It comes down to trying to solve the case and who everyone is. As an actor, you’re presented with all the information — but my character isn’t. The ‘everyone’s a suspect’ formula only works if my character genuinely believes that all these people have a motive and an opportunity to commit the crime. He cannot trust every word that the say.
And so, there are a few little games that I like to play. Every night, I have a different rank regarding who I suspect about the most. Human interaction also matters. There are some people in the story who my character doesn’t get along with, while he might related to or feel sorry for others. However, he must stay professional, and he can’t let that connection affect his case. I think the key is genuinely believing in the danger — there’s a murderer on the loose and everyone is at risk. He cannot trust anybody. And if I don’t trust anyone, the audience won’t either.
What personal elements have you incorporated into your portrayal and what are the reasons behind them?
First and foremost, my relationship with the space and how comfortable I am with it. On the whole, the detective is a serious character, but there are moments of sass in him. He undermines people or even has a few comical bits, which, far from compromising the gravitas of the piece, puts the other characters on edge. The director has allowed me to play with those, which is very exciting for me as actor.
I’ve also done my own research on the play. There’s a true story that Agatha Christie based this piece on. A few books cover the subject, and reading those works allowed to come with a better understanding of the story as a whole and the detective’s role within that story.
Our director’s openmindness has allowed me to bring all these thoughts into the role and into the space. It’s been such a thrilling experience, because it’s allowed us to explore things that might or might not have been explored before — I’ve discovered how similar some aspects of my approach has been to other Trotters in the past!
Overall, it’s all about understanding the play’s period and genre. I’ve watched a lot of Agatha Christie — not just her work, but the person. I think her creative identity is deeply embedded in the script, and as actors, we must save the playwright and the themes she’s exploring. Understanding who he was and what she’s trying to say with The Mousetrap is crucial.
It’s also interesting to understand what the police were like in the 1950s and what were the resources available to them at the time. For example, there’s a moment when the victim’s fingerprints are mentioned. What’s interesting about it is that fingerprints were quite new back then. They were not always regarded to be accurate because they were very new. I particularly enjoy that part, because it’s something very unique for the character in that period, whereas a modern audience finds it obvious.
However, the most exciting thing about this piece is that it all takes place within the walls of a manor. It’s all about just going in there, interacting with the company and responding to what they are offering while offering things yourself. You must allow yourself to live and breathe in that particular moment and on that particular night.
At the end of the day, this is a very wordy show, and if I just repeat the same thing like cardboard cutout, it will get stale a lot sooner. That’s why I try to keep that fresh energy by responding to others’. Once you’ve done that work, it’s all about getting into that space and try to solve the mystery, without thinking how I solved it the night before. That leads to the most exciting shows, because you really don’t know what’s gonna happen next.
Have you found any particular challenges in this role?
Yes! Because he’s the detective, the play is heavily driven by him from the moment he arrives and the climax unfolds. To me, it’s a mental challenge — it’s all about keeping up with all the information that’s being thrown at him while also thinking on the spot.
A lot of this thought process and the root of the investigation come from Trotter’s investigation, expertise, and plan of action. I need to make sure that I keep all those pieces moving in different directions at the same time. All that mental juggling is definite challenge, because I let any ball drop at any moment, the entire play crashes, and we don’t want that!
The other company members cannot help the detective if I lose my train of thought, because they’re listening to his every word. If the detective doesn’t know where he’s going next, none of the characters do either. It’s a bit different from a normal conversation, where, if you lose your way, other characters can help you get back on track. Here, the detective needs to be in control at all times. That puts the role under a lot of pressure.
Have you actually lost train of thought or had any other bloopers so far?
Yes, I have! A few weeks ago, I had a massive blank onstage! I had just come in, and I was explaining the severity of the situation. Somehow, I lost my way as for where I was at. I panicked for a moment, but then I realised I just had to carry on.
What I did was asking the characters’ their names, which is two pages later on in the script. After interrogating everyone, I went back to where I had got stuck. I’m not gonna lie, I think I did it beautifully! The most brilliant thing about it is that, except for the cast, nobody noticed. There were nine guests that night, and none of them realised I had reedited the text!
Somehow, it mirrored a real-life detective — they need to know all the facts inside out and back to front, especially when they are interrogating somebody, and if they miss any bits, they need to find a way to bring that piece of information up. It won’t happen again, though!
What’s very interesting is that much of the stuff that concerns actors (fluffing a line, a prop that doesn’t work, etc.) is rarely noticed by the audience. They are wrapped in the story, and they don’t know what to expect — they just take it and move on with it. As long as you know how to react in that moment, it functions.
If you had to give me one single reason to come see The Mousetrap after almost 75 years, which one would it be?
It is the iconic murder mystery. The way it’s written, structured, and performed will feel like you’re are somewhat going back in time. The reason why it’s such a classic is because it was the first, and it has later been replicated onstage, film, and television. The Mousetrap was the show that really exploded, and it was integral to make the genre so popular.
Coming to see The Mousetrap is coming to see a piece of history while reminding us of why a murder mystery is so exciting and why it is timeless. Even if you had worked it out, seeing it again allows you to see all the clues embedded within it. Those hints are there, and when you know the secret, it’s really exciting to see what you hadn’t noticed pop up.
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Production pictures credit to Matt Crockett.
The Mousetrap plays at London’s St. Martin’s Theatre from Monday to Saturday. Tickets are available on the following link.