Arts Alliance of Pine Rivers Inc

Redcliffe Mousetrap Theatre - Key for Two

 

Mousetrap Theatre has been producing plays at its Redcliffe Showgrounds venue for 54 years. It is a lovely intimate theatre seating almost 100 people and has stacks of parking. It was my first visit there but it won’t be my last.

The show was written by Dave Freeman and John Chapman (who gave us “Dry Rot” and “The Liver Birds”) and it is a typical English Bedroom Farce. Harriet solves her financial problems by “entertaining” two married men on different days of the week but things fall apart when her friend Ann arrives followed by her estranged husband Richard. As is usual in this type of comedy; lies, deception and hilarity follow at break neck pace.

Keith Wilson has directed this frothy sex farce with loads of fun. He has chosen his actors well and they all show an obvious appreciation of farce. Madeleine Johns as amoral Harriet, Garry Somerville as advertising executive Gordon and Paul Cant as fishing fleet owner Alec make up the cheating trio while Fay Richard is Helen’s friend Ann. They are joined by the cheated wives Kathy Whitfield and Susan Field and all enjoy treating the audience to fast and furious fun.

The night, however, was stolen by Peter Wright who plays Ann’s husband, a drunken vet who is also in love with Harriet. His drunken antics with a fox fur stole had this reviewer and the rest of the audience in hysterics. How fortunate The Mousetrap is to have an actor of this caliber.

Unfortunately many amateur theatres fall down when it comes to set design and director Keith Wilson wisely chose to design his own set. It was one of the best I have seen in local theatre. It was not only pleasant to the eye but was cleverly designed to allow maximum space for actors using two rooms. This combined with David Scheiwe’s subtle lighting design created a very watchable scene.

Ray Swenson

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