Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Mint Theater Company thoughtfully revives THE RAT TRAP, Noël Coward’s rarely performed early career play

• By drediman
• December 1, 2022
• No Comments

Earlier this week at New York City Center, I attended a rare revival of Noël Coward’s The Rat Trap. The production is being presented by the Mint Theater Company, who over the years has become an undisputed leader when it comes to re-discovering lost plays of the past and staging them with intelligence and care. I’m happy to report that the same can be said of the company’s thoughtful revival of The Rat Trap. Set over the course of roughly two years (circa 1920) in London and Cornwall, the play charts the deterioration of a marriage between two intelligent and willful writers.

Written when Coward was only 18 years of age, the early-career work is a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a young man who later in life would become one of the greatest wits of his day. In The Rat Trap, Coward’s visceral negative response to the institution of marriage – especially when the union is between partners with the same ambitions and similar levels of intelligence – indicates a mind that’s already sharply critical of the society around him. However, unlike his later comedies (the delectably urbane Private Lives quickly comes to mind) – which wonderfully balance his keen observations with a more playful laissez-faire view of the world – this early prototype clearly wears its intentions on its sleeves, apparently telegraphing the trajectory of the play from the first scene. Nevertheless, the work is perceptive and inquisitive in all the right ways, which is especially impressive coming from a teenager.

The production has been directed with clarity and attention to detail by Alexander Lass. As per usual for Mint shows, The Rat Trap is efficiently and smartly designed, making the most of a limited budget (the set is by Vicki R. Davis and costumes by Hunter Kaczorowski). Throughout, the acting is technically very good, and the cast hits all the right emotions and provides sufficient shading to give the otherwise stock characters some depth. Particularly excellent are Sarin Monae West and James Evans as the central married couple; there’s obvious chemistry between them, and their loving/slicing exchanges are perfectly on point.

RECOMMENDED

THE RAT TRAP
Off-Broadway, Play
Mint Theater Company at New York City Center
2 hours, 15 minutes (with one intermission)
Through December 10