Production Designer Goes a Different Way for Broadway's Debut of "The Mousetrap"
Not Sure if Dame Christie Had THIS in Mind
Agatha Christie’s THE MOUSETRAP is the world’s most successful and longest-running play. Now, the genre-defining murder mystery from the best-selling novelist of all time comes to Broadway for the very first time.
However, those looking to see and hear some of the original sights and sounds from the production as it first appeared in London in 1952 might be a little disappointed.
Production designer and creative director David Korins has decided to go a different route from Anthony Hall’s initial design when the mystery “whodunnit” first graced the stage in London’s West End.
Taking more literal inspiration from the 1963 Ideal board game with the same name, Korins has essentially transformed Christie’s play from a mystery set in the Great Hall of Monkswell Manor to one taking place within a cheap plastic board game designed to emulate a Rube Goldberg machine.
Family members and managers of the Christie estate are less than thrilled with Korins’ decision, but they are willing to give the creative mind behind the set design of “Hamilton” and “Dear Evan Hansen” a chance.
“When we first saw David’s design, we were literally like ‘what the fuck?’ said James Prichard, great-grandson of Christie herself and chairman of Agatha Christie Limited. “That game is so annoying and shitty that there is no way he could pull this off.”
After seeing a run-through with the set as Korins had originally designed, complete with bathtub, sliding staircase, and diving board, Prichard was a believer.
“We think American audiences will connect with the play in a whole new way.”
“The son of a bitch pulled it off,” Prichard said. “This is the piece that was missing all along, and we think American audiences will connect with the play in a whole new way.”
Mary Delucca, Korins Studio lead art director for this production, admits that when she first heard that they would be doing “The Mousetrap,” she immediately thought about her childhood playing the now Hasbro-owned game.
“I never heard, saw, or read Christie’s original play and just assumed we were always making a live-action, life-sized version of the board game,” she admits.
“Once we actually read Christie’s script we had a decision to make—go with what everyone wants and expects in trying to recreate the authenticity of the original production, or build a 16-piece, 50,000 pound kinetic sculpture which would be a logistical nightmare to build and strike…of course, we went for the challenge.”
The construction of the 6,500 square foot set was not without a few snags.
“We had several carpenters get hurt while constructing the giant cage that falls onto the “mice,” and we even had one set decorator die after she accidentally got kicked off of the stage by the giant green boot,” said Korins remorsefully.
“But this is Broadway, baby, and a few deaths here and there are in the spirit of the play itself!”
Critics are unsure just how the new design will fit into the original play and are hoping they will soon get an invite for their customary preview performance.
But after getting some first-look photos of the set from Korins Studio, many critics are in disbelief that this design for the set was even approved and then even eventually built.
“Look,” said Ben Brantley, The Times Chief Theater Critic. “You have to David Korins the benefit of the doubt. Look what he did with something as stupid as “Mrs. Doubtfire.” The man is obviously a genius…”
“But aside from the sheer danger the set poses, I can’t see what a red thing-a-ma-jig and yellow lamp post has to do with the Maureen Lyon murder.”
Village Voice critic Michael Musto is more hopeful, seeing the connection between the play’s theme of insanity and the aggravation of setting up all the pieces of the game.
“Remember, this is one of the most hated and infuriating games ever created. In this version, the group gets isolated in the snowstorm and the only way to entertain themselves is with the board game,” said Musto.
“It’s only fitting that it will end in murder.”