Mousetrap opens in London
The Mousetrap a murder-mystery written by the novelist and playwright Agatha Christie opens at the Ambassadors Theatre in London.The crowd-pleasing whodunit would go on to become the longest continuously running play in history with more than 10 million people to date attending its more than 20000 performances in Londons West End.When The Mousetrap premiered in 1952 Winston Churchill was British prime minister Joseph Stalin was Soviet ruler and Dwight D.Eisenhower was president-elect.
Christie already a hugely successful English mystery novelist originally wrote the drama for Queen Mary wife of the late King George V.Initially called Three Blind Mice it debuted as a 30-minute radio play on the queens 80th birthday in 1947.Christie later extended the play and renamed it The Mousetrapa reference to the play-within-a-play performed in William Shakespeares Hamlet.On November 25 1952 453 people took their seats in the Ambassadors Theatre for the London premiere of Christies Mousetrap.
The drama is played out at Monkswell Manor whose hosts and guests are snowed in among radio reports of a murderer on the loose.Soon a detective shows up on skis with the terrifying news that the murderer and probably the next victim are likely both among their number.Soon the clues and false leads pile as high as the snow.
At every curtain call the individual who has been revealed as the murderer steps forward and tells the audience that they are partners in crime and should keep the secret of the whodunit locked in their heart.Richard Attenborough and his wife Sheila Sim were the first stars of The Mousetrap.To date more than 300 actors and actresses have appeared in the roles of the eight characters.David Raven who played Major Metcalf for 4575 performances is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the worlds most durable actor while Nancy Seabrooke is noted as the worlds most patient understudy for 6240 performances or 15 years as the substitute for Mrs.
Boyle.The Mousetrap is not considered Christies best play and a prominent stage director once declared that The Mousetrap should be abolished by an act of Parliament.Nevertheless the shows popularity has not waned.Asked about its enduring appeal Christie said It is the sort of play you can take anyone to.
It is not really frightening.It is not really horrible.It is not really a farce but it has a little bit of all these things and perhaps that satisfies a lot of different people.
In 1974 after almost 9000 shows the play was moved to St.Martins Theatre where it remains today.Agatha Christie who wrote scores of best-selling mystery novels died in 1976.
