Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre kicked off its 2026 season over the weekend with Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap.”
Christie originally wrote “The Mousetrap” as a broadcast radio play for Queen Mary entitled “Three Blind Mice.” It was then adapted into a short story and eventually the play was seen on stages around the world. “The Mousetrap” is the longest-running play in history, holding a Guinness World Record with over 30,000 performances on the West End since 1952. For the first time since the 1970s, Beef and Boards is bringing the show back for Hoosier audiences now through Feb. 15.
Directed by Eddie Curry, “The Mousetrap” invites audiences to sit back and relax for an evening of “suspense and intrigue” after the guests and staff of a remote country house find themselves stranded in a blustery storm with a chilling realization: the killer is one of them, according to a press release.
“The Mousetrap,” a delightful amalgamation of clever twists and old-fashioned thrills expected in a Christie murder mystery, follows a pair of newlywed innkeepers, Mollie (Malia Munley) and Giles Ralston (Jae Woo), and their guests after they get snowed in at Monkswell Manor Guest House.
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The cast is complete with a variety of “colorful” characters, such as the uppity spinster Mrs. Boyle (Suzanne Stark), the peculiar architect Christopher Wren (Jonathan Cobrda), a retired Major Metcalf (Jeff Stockberger), the sardonic jurist Miss Casewell (Hannah Embree) and the uninvited traveler Mr. Paravicini (Adam Du Plessis). Everyone’s suspicious behavior and poorly kept secrets come to a head when the bubbly skiing investigator, Det. Sgt. Trotter (Scot Greenwell) shows up and begins asking questions.
I was utterly enamored with the way Munley and Woo portrayed the Ralstons onstage. Both delivered charming and captivating performances as the young, first-time business owners, only to ramp up the drama and steal the show once everyone started pointing fingers, calling attention to actions and words from previous scenes I hadn’t even realized I needed to remember. Their ending is not only a happy one, but a sincerely adorable one.
Cobrda’s portrayal of Christopher Wren was definitely an audience favorite — it’s hard not to be when doing that much character acting and physical movement. He was really laying it on thick — as was every actor, really — but in a way that just captures your attention in an almost Robin Williams-esque allure.
There were more than a few times where lines got messed up, but overall, the timing and the pacing of “The Mousetrap” made it easy to overlook. It’s a timeless show, with good jokes and even better twists.
The set for “The Mousetrap” is so warm and inviting, and the way it makes use of the stage was quite refreshing. Designed by William Mohney, this set is a busy mix of red and gold with deep mahogany furniture. It’s more robust and, without the aid of the turntable, gives characters room to really make use of and interact with the space.
The show doesn’t require any scene changes, so it’s easier to go big, bold and more detailed with Monkswell Manor — from the crackling fireplace, to working lights and doors and a window with a digital snowfall.
This was my first time seeing “The Mousetrap” despite its longstanding history and legacy on the stage. However, I’m also familiar with Christie’s work and a big fan of mysteries, so I pride myself on figuring it out at intermission.
I won’t spoil it here, though, as is the 70+ year tradition of “The Mousetrap.”
“The Mousetrap” was incredibly enjoyable to watch, and the actors had me hanging on every single word from start to finish. It’s also so delightfully funny — both in subtle ways and in very big, very bold ways.
It’s a detail-oriented production. You cannot blink, lest you miss something important. Anyone could be guilty; anyone could be involved. I loved how much the show made me think. Usually, we’re so focused on theatre being an escape, but Christie play adaptations such as “The Mousetrap” offer us something a little different: an entertaining challenge.
“The Mousetrap” was a remarkable production to kick off Beef and Boards’ 2026 season and set the bar very high for the rest of the shows I plan to review this year.
Continuing the season, Beef and Boards will present the musical adaptation of “Pretty Woman,” Feb. 19-April 4, followed by the MGM classic turned musical “Singin’ in the Rain” April 9-May 23. Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” takes the stage May 23-July 12 as Beef and Boards’ annual family show, with $10 tickets for kids aged 3-15.
“The Play that Goes Wrong” hits the stage in the summer, July 16-Aug. 23, followed by Johnny Cash songbook musical, “Ring of Fire” Aug. 27-Oct. 4. “Cats” is onstage Oct. 8-Nov. 22 and Irving Berlin’s “Holiday Inn” will close the season Nov. 27-Jan. 3 with a New Year’s Celebration on Dec. 31, according to a press release.
Beginning this season, Beef and Boards announced all Tuesday-Saturday performances will now start at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday performances remaining at their regular 7 p.m. time.
“The Mousetrap” is onstage at Beef and Boards, 9301 Michigan Road, for 44 performances Jan. 6 through Feb. 15. Tickets are $59.50-$87.50 and include a dinner buffet, fruit and salad bar and select beverages. For more information, tickets or to view a full performance schedule, visit beefandboards.com.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
