THE Mousetrap has been a West End staple for decades as one of Theatreland's longest-running shows, but it has recently taken its murderous thrills on tour. 

Eager to see if I could figure out 'Who Dunnit' I travelled to the Bristol Hippodrome to capture the Agathie Christie stage adaptation for its 70th anniversary show while it was relatively nearby.

The first few scenes set the stage for the mystery to come. We meet hopeful guest house owners Mollie and Giles Ralston as they prepare for their first day of catering to guests. 

At the same time, a disembodied voice coming from the radio reveals there's been a ghastly murder nearby and the murderer is still on the loose - wearing a dark coat, light scarf and hat. 

Then, in a good example of the self-referential crime-fiction meta-humour that The Mousetrap often employs throughout, we meet the rest of the cast, a disparate bunch of strangers all with their own mystery, and all who are wearing the exact outfit matching the description of our unknown murderer - truly anyone could have 'dunnit'. 

Our suspects include a childlike architect called Christopher Wren, a stubborn and spiteful old lady called Mrs Boyle, a stereotypical soldier called Major Metcalf, the strange and aloof Mrs Casewell and the enigmatic stranger Mr Paravicini - not to mention the Ralstons themselves. 

The pieces are then fully in place when a final unexpected guest - a police officer by the name of Detective Sergeant Trotter who has reason to suspect the murderer has also made a beeline for the manor arrives just in time for our cast to be trapped where they are by a snowdrift. 

What follows is exactly what you'd expect from a murder mystery - a gripping story full of twists and turns, with a truly dark origin and perhaps another murder while the character's secrets all get revealed drawing us closer and closer to the killer.

By the time the culprit is revealed and the final act gets underway you have definitely been fully entertained by a story that knows that you know what a murder mystery is and does what it can to subvert your expectations while still operating within the boundaries of the genre.

The collection of character actors, including soaplands Todd Carty, all played their roles perfectly with Rachel Dawson as Mollie Ralston and Shaun McCourt as Christopher Wren particular standouts for me personally. 

Amateur armchair detectives will have a great time with this, but anyone who likes well-acted theatre with suspense, surprises and humour will also have a great night. I certainly did.