The Newtowne Players Execute Iconic Murder Mystery
By Elisa Mattingly
Giles (Indie Hooven) and Mollie (Piper Philyaw) begin to feel the pressure of Detective Sergeant Trotter’s (Sawyer Enright) questions.
Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” is the longest-running play in the West End, having been performed over 30,000 times since its premiere in 1952. But you don’t have to travel all the way to London to get the pleasure of seeing it live. The Newtowne Players are performing the classic murder mystery this Fall, and it is not to be missed.
The story follows Giles and Mollie Ralston, played by Indie Hooven and Piper Philyaw, as they open their guesthouse, Monkswell Manor. They have four guests scheduled to stay, but a blustering snowstorm adds an unexpected traveler to the midst. As the snow falls, the characters get to know each other and inevitably butt heads in the close, but cozy, quarters. All coziness halts, however, when Detective Sergeant Trotter, played by Sawyer Enright, arrives and announces that a murderer is among them. No one is safe, and no one is assumed innocent.
As director Jonathan Berry describes it, “The Mousetrap” is a “quintessential murder mystery.” But NTP brings drama and a bit of playfulness to Christie’s twisty, turny who-dun-it.
“I am a big fan of murder mysteries,” Berry said of why he chose the show to be his first foray into directing at NTP. “Agatha Christie is one of the best writers of mysteries. And it's just such a historic show in and of itself… and has such a really well-written subplot underneath everything.”
That subplot is one of the reasons why “The Mousetrap” is such a fun show to watch, and why audiences may want to return and see the show multiple times.
“I love the dialogue between characters, without talking,” Indie Hooven said. “Like the things that you see going on behind what the center is, when you see certain people interacting. Maybe two or three audience members will see it happening, and it's a completely different show for [them].”
The story follows Giles and Mollie Ralston, played by Indie Hooven and Piper Philyaw, as they open their guesthouse, Monkswell Manor. They have four guests scheduled to stay, but a blustering snowstorm adds an unexpected traveler to the midst. As the snow falls, the characters get to know each other and inevitably butt heads in the close, but cozy, quarters. All coziness halts, however, when Detective Sergeant Trotter, played by Sawyer Enright, arrives and announces that a murderer is among them. No one is safe, and no one is assumed innocent.
As director Jonathan Berry describes it, “The Mousetrap” is a “quintessential murder mystery.” But NTP brings drama and a bit of playfulness to Christie’s twisty, turny who-dun-it.
“I am a big fan of murder mysteries,” Berry said of why he chose the show to be his first foray into directing at NTP. “Agatha Christie is one of the best writers of mysteries. And it's just such a historic show in and of itself… and has such a really well-written subplot underneath everything.”
That subplot is one of the reasons why “The Mousetrap” is such a fun show to watch, and why audiences may want to return and see the show multiple times.
“I love the dialogue between characters, without talking,” Indie Hooven said. “Like the things that you see going on behind what the center is, when you see certain people interacting. Maybe two or three audience members will see it happening, and it's a completely different show for [them].”
No one is safe from suspicion, including Major Metcalf (P. Wade Thompson), Miss Casewell (Pateley Bongiorni), and Mr. Paravicini (Kenny Faison), as Detective Sergeant Trotter (Sawyer Enright) begins to explain how he intends to solve this mystery
Audiences should pay close attention, not just to the main action on stage but also to the smaller, more subtle interactions happening between characters. There are more clues to be found outside of the dialogue.
Those silent interactions are just one example of why this cast is so stellar. The chemistry between every single character makes the show immersive and captivating.
It’s impossible to decide who the murderer might be, because the cast does such a good job of making every character look like they have something to hide.
In a murder mystery like “The Mousetrap,” the characters are the most important element, and lucky for audience members, the characters are the strongest part of NTP’s production.
“The biggest challenge was coming up with the next thing that kept the actors going to the next level,” said Berry. “They each have grown so much in it, but trying to help them push further and figure out the next thing to unlock for their characters [was challenging].”
Both Philyaw and Enright discussed the challenges they faced in connecting with and building their characters.
“I've always played very caricaturistic characters. So, playing such a very intricate, deep, personable role was a new challenge,” Enright said.
It is obvious that the cast has put in a lot of hard work to build their characters and present them as realistic, but fishy, people.
“The biggest challenge has definitely been trying to connect with Mollie as a character,” Philyaw said. “I'm usually playing comedic roles… [Berry] gave me the confidence to ‘just be normal.’ I don't have to be this ditzy person. I can just be grounded in reality.”
No one would ever guess the challenges the cast faced in building their characters, because each one is so well-rounded, well-performed, and absolutely suspicious. It is delightful to watch and constantly suspect different characters of being the murderer, something that is only possible because of the talent of each and every member of the cast.
NTP’s “The Mousetrap” runs from September 26 to October 12. Be sure to grab your tickets to this iconic play, which is perfect for the spooky season!
Those silent interactions are just one example of why this cast is so stellar. The chemistry between every single character makes the show immersive and captivating.
It’s impossible to decide who the murderer might be, because the cast does such a good job of making every character look like they have something to hide.
In a murder mystery like “The Mousetrap,” the characters are the most important element, and lucky for audience members, the characters are the strongest part of NTP’s production.
“The biggest challenge was coming up with the next thing that kept the actors going to the next level,” said Berry. “They each have grown so much in it, but trying to help them push further and figure out the next thing to unlock for their characters [was challenging].”
Both Philyaw and Enright discussed the challenges they faced in connecting with and building their characters.
“I've always played very caricaturistic characters. So, playing such a very intricate, deep, personable role was a new challenge,” Enright said.
It is obvious that the cast has put in a lot of hard work to build their characters and present them as realistic, but fishy, people.
“The biggest challenge has definitely been trying to connect with Mollie as a character,” Philyaw said. “I'm usually playing comedic roles… [Berry] gave me the confidence to ‘just be normal.’ I don't have to be this ditzy person. I can just be grounded in reality.”
No one would ever guess the challenges the cast faced in building their characters, because each one is so well-rounded, well-performed, and absolutely suspicious. It is delightful to watch and constantly suspect different characters of being the murderer, something that is only possible because of the talent of each and every member of the cast.
NTP’s “The Mousetrap” runs from September 26 to October 12. Be sure to grab your tickets to this iconic play, which is perfect for the spooky season!
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