1952 : 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 20,000 performances in London's 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 queen's 80th birthday in
1947. Christie later extended the play and renamed it "The
Mousetrap"--a reference to the play-within-a-play performed in William
Shakespeare's "Hamlet."
On November 25, 1952, 453 people took their seats in the Ambassadors
Theatre for the London premiere of Christie's "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 4,575 performances, is in the "Guinness Book of
World Records" as the world's most durable actor, while Nancy
Seabrooke is noted as the world's most patient understudy for 6,240
performances, or 15 years, as the substitute for "Mrs. Boyle."
"The Mousetrap" is not considered Christie's best play, and a
prominent stage director once declared that "'The Mousetrap'" should
be abolished by an act of Parliament." Nevertheless, the show's
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 9,000 shows, the play
was moved to St. Martin's Theatre, where it remains today. Agatha
Christie, who wrote scores of best-selling mystery novels, died in
1976.
history.com/tdih.do
General Interest
1952 : Mousetrap opens in London
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihVideoCategory&id=7092
1783 : Last British soldiers leave New York
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5548
1963 : JFK buried at Arlington National Cemetery
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5549
1970 : Mishima commits ritual suicide
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5550
1986 : Iran-Contra connection revealed
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5551
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"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 20,000 performances in London's 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 queen's 80th birthday in
1947. Christie later extended the play and renamed it "The
Mousetrap"--a reference to the play-within-a-play performed in William
Shakespeare's "Hamlet."
On November 25, 1952, 453 people took their seats in the Ambassadors
Theatre for the London premiere of Christie's "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 4,575 performances, is in the "Guinness Book of
World Records" as the world's most durable actor, while Nancy
Seabrooke is noted as the world's most patient understudy for 6,240
performances, or 15 years, as the substitute for "Mrs. Boyle."
"The Mousetrap" is not considered Christie's best play, and a
prominent stage director once declared that "'The Mousetrap'" should
be abolished by an act of Parliament." Nevertheless, the show's
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 9,000 shows, the play
was moved to St. Martin's Theatre, where it remains today. Agatha
Christie, who wrote scores of best-selling mystery novels, died in
1976.
history.com/tdih.do
General Interest
1952 : Mousetrap opens in London
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihVideoCategory&id=7092
1783 : Last British soldiers leave New York
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5548
1963 : JFK buried at Arlington National Cemetery
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5549
1970 : Mishima commits ritual suicide
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5550
1986 : Iran-Contra connection revealed
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5551
#########################################
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