What is it about The Mousetrap?

The answer like that to ‘Whodunnit?’ was satisfyingly clear by the end of the evening at the touring production at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre.

It was not ‘Whodunnit?’ so much that I had pondered on - although this eventual revelation was indeed surprising.

Rather, I had always wondered on the appeal of Agatha Christie’s iconic, record-breaking murder mystery.

How could such surely dated, traditional theatrical fare in a wellworn genre, still keep successfully pulling in audiences - some 62 years after it first opened in the West End?

Humour, suspense, a buildup of tension, a revelatory plot twist, an intriguing development of characters and their relationships all play their parts effectively, feeding the play’s powers of endurance.

We have Monkswell Manor, a rural guest house in grand wood-panelled style, isolated and inaccessible due to blizzards (and someone’s cut the telephone lines too). It’s a setting with elements of Psycho and The Shining.

The hosts are young married couple, the brusque and business like Giles (Alex Wadham) and Mollie Ralston (Ester McAuley). How well do they really know each other?

The snow beats down, a woman has been murdered in London, a radio broadcasts that police are anxious to interview a man wearing ‘a dark overcoat, a light scarf and soft felt hat’. The broadcast resonates in the manor and the killing is central to the action.

As guests arrive, they peel off clothing to match that of the wanted man. Of course they do. What’s more, Giles sports a similar set of outdoor kit too.

They are an odd bunch of guests, feeding in to the fun and humour as snow traps them in the setting with inevitable character clashes.

There is fault-finding, stuffy Mrs Boyle (Anne Kavanagh), the somewhat masculine mistress of the dry retort Miss Casewell (Hester Arden) and there is not much to complain about true Brit Major Metcalf (William Ilkley).

Then there is the hilariously-irritating and hyper Christopher Wren (Edward Elgood), rushing about and uttering squeaks and plummy guffaws reminiscent of a manic Jack Russell, and winding up everyone but Mollie on the way.

Lastly, there is the unexpected arrival of the somewhat suspicous and theatrically over-the-top Italian Mr Paravicini (Jonathan Sidgwick), with Latin lothario tendencies. Relishing the unfolding sinister intrigue, and warned by Giles out of the kitchen and away from Mollie, he utters: “It is my sadistic tendencies he fears, not my dishonourable ones.”

With an announcement that the manor is inaccessible, Sgt Trotter, played by Kent’s own Luke Jenkins, 24, from Hoo near Rochester, contrarily sweeps up on skiis, warning that a murderer is amongst them.

Characters and intrigue unfold and the inevitable body at the end of Act One is the prelude to a major upgrade in tension and suspense in Act Two. The atmosphere and backstory are built up, the audience increasingly captivated, putting everybody on tenterhooks right up to the unveiling of the murderer.

Shame about some persistent coughing and extremely distracting crackling of food wrappers from the audience, a personal bugbear and definite detraction at a play where listening to an intricate plot is key.

The Mousetrap belies its age, my teenage son agreed the play did not seem dated and deemed it “really good”. Seeing the play has never been on my bucket list, but viewing the legend proved a thoroughly satisfying evening’s entertainment and one I can recommend.

We were sent off with the traditional request not to reveal the killer’s identity. You will just have to go and see it for yourself.

No good just waiting for the film, Dame Agatha made it a condition that a film adaptation was not allowed until six months after the West End production closes.

The longest-running British show ever continues to go strong at St Martin’s Theatre in London. It is likely to be a while.

In the meantime, The Mousetrap continues at The Marlowe until Saturday, September 5, and will be at the Woodville Halls Theatre, Gravesend, from September 21 to 26, see www.MousetrapOnTour.com