THE MOUSE TRAP
We went to a weeknight performance of Agatha Christie's ‘The Mousetrap’ a St Martin’s theatre and were seated in the 3 rows back from the front in the Upper Circle (the highest level).From this point we were able to see the whole stage and there wasn't anything to obscure the view except for a fellow viewers head.
However, we did have an odd angle of view i.e. 60 degrees down. This meant that we could see the top of the performers heads including bald spots.
The size of the seating space was extremely small which resulted in all of us being uncomfortable throughout the whole play. My knees were over the top of the seat in front of me. Anyone sitting there had my knees in the back of their head.
I'm of average size so you can imagine what the taller members felt and endured. One even put their legs over the top of the seat in front. This resulted in their feet resting on the cushion where you put your bum.
THE PLAY
The play has now been running for 56 years during which time over 23,000 performances have been given.
There have been no fewer than 382 actors and actresses appearing in the play, 116 miles of shirts have been ironed and over 415 tons of ice cream sold. (Yeah!, they sell ice cream in the highbrow, culture show!)
Some cast members are in the Guinness Book of Records, David Raven as the 'Most Durable Actor' for 4575 performances as Major Metcalf, and the late Nancy Seabrooke for a record breaking 15 years as an understudy.THE PLOT
The story is about a young couple (50's term which should say recently married as the performers didn't look that young - nothing personal), Mollie and Giles Ralston, who have started up a new hotel in the converted Monkswell Manor. They are snowed in together with four guests and an additional traveller, who ran his car into a snowdrift. Detective Sergeant Trotter arrives on skis to inform the group that he believes a murderer is on his way to the hotel, following the death of Miss Maureen Lyon in London.
When one of the guests – Mrs Boyle (a right old bitch) – is killed, they realise that the murderer is already there. The suspicion falls first on Christopher Wren, an erratic young man who fits the description of the supposed murderer. However, it quickly transpires that the killer could be any one of the guests, or even the hosts themselves.
THE TWIST
By tradition, at the end of each performance, audiences are asked not to reveal the identity of the killer to anyone outside the theatre, to ensure that the end of the play isn't spoiled for future audiences. The play has been running for so long that this twist is common knowledge.