I am completely sure that Agatha Christie never thought, dreamed, or imagined that in a humble town on the island of Lanzarote called San Bartolomé, an amateur theater company would stage the play that has ...
I am completely sure that Agatha Christie never thought, dreamed, or imagined that in a humble town on the island of Lanzarote called San Bartolomé, an amateur theater company would stage the play that has broken all records for continuous performances: "The Mousetrap", with almost 60 years of uninterrupted performances in London.
I admit that when I bought my ticket, I was predisposed to see a play like so many that come from outside to our island. I had never heard the name Chespi. Moreover, I mistakenly thought it would come from Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, etc. My surprise was when, upon reading the leaflet that they so kindly gave us - I say gave because in all theaters the spectator who wishes to acquire it must pay for it - I read that all the components are islanders. It was then that, upon asking, they confirmed to me that Chespir is a theatrical group from Conejero.
I do not intend with my words to make a detailed analysis of the work. I intend to expose my point of view on what I saw and enjoyed last Saturday, supported by the love and passion I feel for the theater and my knowledge of dramaturgy and literature.
The cast of actors chosen to embody the guests of Monskwell Manor was very appropriate. Mrs. Boyle, played by Neri Crespo, was forceful and precise. Good image, excellent diction, and she was always present in her short but important interventions, in addition to a careful characterization. Joe Ramsey perfectly solved the role of Christopher Wren. It is true that sometimes he spoke quickly and the text was lost a little. The creation of his character was very successful, and the histrionics that, as reflected by Agatha Christie, that character carries was very well achieved. He received a great ovation.
The Ralston marriage was embodied by the actors Alby Robayna (Giles) and Almudena Moreno (Mollie). They lived up to the circumstances. Alby demonstrated experience and security, although in my opinion his character lacked a little more character. Almudena was very correct as the lady of the house and although sometimes the words were a little rushed, I recognize that they formed a perfect tandem.
The confrontation scene between Giles and Mollie was one of the best performed. Javier Clar gave life to Major Metcalf. Despite his youth, he made a credible character, with excellent expressive moments in difficult situations for an actor, which are those in which he must be on stage and appear without saying a word.
Miss Casewell was played by Begoña Cedrés. She was correct and the dance moment was frankly fun. Perhaps I noticed a bit of nervousness and insecurity, but being this a group work, these defects remained in the background, always prevailing the mystery and suspense.
Mr. Paravicini, in my opinion, was successful. Germán Barrios gave life to this eccentric character with proven solvency, adequate scenic movement despite his stature and good body expression with mastery of the scenic space. And finally, Sergeant Trotter embodied by José Manuel Clar. I leave him for the end because in addition to playing the policeman, he assumed the stage direction of the montage. He showed off an excellent diction and his entrance through the window, generated a very good moment of attention among the public. I consider that it is an ungrateful character for an actor, since he always has to be there and do it very well as that was the case, but the ovations are taken by other more grateful characters.
José Manuel Clar made a very correct Trotter and showed a very good evolution of the character, evolution that you will forgive me for not commenting on so as not to, as it says in the leaflet, reveal unnecessary details. He was given the arduous task of directing this theatrical montage.
I consider that José Manuel Clar is not a theorist of the scene, linked to precise and prefixed schemes. Proof of this was the scenic disposition of all the characters. I consider him a versatile and elastic director, capable of adapting any rule to use without ever submitting to the bond imposed by a pre-constituted scheme. This admirable fact was evident in many moments of scenic flexibility, such as the detective's interrogations, the Ralston marriage's fights, the control of spaces, and the energetic dynamics of the paintings. There were moments where all the actors on stage were doing completely different things. My most sincere congratulations.
I would not like to finish my comment without referring to technical aspects. The lighting was in charge of Selma Rodríguez. She combined in a simple way the environments of the house, respecting the transitions between day and night and playing with a beautiful light coming from the outside of the window. We had an especially beautiful moment towards the end of the play where the day was diminishing in the same measure as the light. In the sound section, congratulations to Eduardo Martínez for knowing how to combine the music with the voices of the actors so that they were never covered. The set, although austere, allowed to have all the rooms that the author of the work marks and the very appropriate scenography, especially the desk and the fireplace, an important part of the plot.
I am pleased to discover that on this island where I have decided to live for fifteen years, there are theater groups that carry out projects at the level of professional companies. From here, congratulate the entire cast of La Ratonera and its director, Mr. Clar, who has so wisely directed them.
