The Mousetrap - St Martin's Theatre

SYNOPSIS

The Mousetrap

The Mousetrap is the world’s longest running play. It is a murder-mystery story written by Agatha Christie in the 1940s – a story that is yet to be formally published or adapted for film under the express instructions of Christie herself. The play opened on stage in the West End on November 25, 1952. Today, it is still showing to audiences at the St Martins Theatre in London, and on August 15, 2007, the show reached a milestone 22,800th performance. Now under the direction of David Turner, The Mousetrap has become a London tourist attraction in its own right!

History of The Mousetrap

Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap first sought out the public’s attention on May 30, 1947, when it was broadcast as a 20-minute radio play. At the time the play was called ‘Three Blind Mice’ and was commissioned by the BBC in honour of Queen Mary, consort to King George V of England, who was a big fan of the writer.

It was Christie herself who then went on to adapt the radio play for the stage. During its development she was very protective of the story line. She suppressed the publication of the story in the UK at the time. She even wrote into the contract that no film adaptation would be allowable whilst the play was still running in the West End. It is for this very reason that no film version of The Mousetrap has been produced to date.

November 25, 1952 saw the play open in the West End at the New Ambassadors Theatre. It played at the venue until March 1974, at which point it was transferred to the St Martins Theatre near Charing Cross Road where it continues today.

The Plot

Agatha Christie is famous for penning murder-mystery stories with a twist – and The Mousetrap certainly lives up to the hype! The Play begins with a young couple – Giles and Mollie Ralston. They have started up a new hotel in a converted manor house. We find them snowed in with four guests and a passer-by whose car is trapped in a snowdrift.

Then, through the snow on skis, arrives Detective Sergeant Trotter. He informs the Ralston’s that he believes a murderer is on the loose and could call at the hotel. Later, one of the hotel guests – Mrs Boyle – is murdered. Everyone in the hotel then realises that the murderer is already present, and could be anyone of them, the Ralston’s included.

From here the play develops into a classic mystery as each person in the hotel forms an opinion as to the identity of the murderer. For the audience it is a roller coaster ride and brings an ending in which a final twist reveals who the murderer really is.

The Actors

Sir Richard Attenborough and his wife, Sheila Sim, were among the original cast of The Mousetrap. Attenborough took the role of Sergeant Trotter while Sim played Mollie Ralston. English actor David Raven took the part of Major Metcalf, one of the guests at the hotel. Raven clocked up 4,575 appearances in the role until his death in 1968. Every November since the cast of The Mousetrap changes in honour of David Raven.