History Theatre / TheMousetrap

A 1952 play by Creator/AgathaChristie adapted from her 1947 radio play, "Three Blind Mice". Since its opening night in London Soho on the West End, the play was running ''continuously''. It holds the world record for longest running show (of ''any'' type) of the modern era.

A 1952 play by Creator/AgathaChristie adapted from her 1947 radio play, "Three Blind Mice". Since its opening night in London Soho, the play was running ''continuously''. It holds the world record for longest running show (of ''any'' type) of the modern era.

* TheFifties: Ration books are a recent memory, the radio is the principal source of news and entertainment, and the fashions are those of the period. Berkshire has its own police force (it was merged into Thames Valley Police in 1968).

A 1952 play by Creator/AgathaChristie adapted from her 1947 radio play, "Three Blind Mice". Since its opening night in London Soho, the play was running ''continuously'' (until the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic forced the theatre to close in 2020; it reopened on 17 May 2021). It holds the world record for longest running show (of ''any'' type) of the modern era.

* TheFifties: Ration books are a recent memory, the radio is the principal source of news and entertainment, and the fashions are those of the period.

* TheFifties: The play is set in the time it was written, and the technology and atmosphere are very much of 1950s England.

* AmbiguouslyGay: Many viewers think that Christopher Wren is supposed to be gay, based on his mannerisms and finding Sgt. Trotter to be attractive (as a policeman), "terribly hearty", etc. Officially, he's not.
** Similarly, Miss Casewell wears masculine clothing, has a very liberal attitude to life, is very secretive over the letters she is writing, and when someone gets hold of one such letter, they read aloud the words "Dearest Jess." Of additional note is that this play was written when homosexuality was still illegal in the UK[[note]]It was only partly decriminalised in 1967[[/note]], so while the secrecy over her letter could be for other reasons (and she could be writing to a friend or relative), it is quite possible that she was writing to a female lover (in the UK the unisex forename Jess is more often borne by females, particularly as a nickname of Jessica).

** Similarly, Miss Casewell wears masculine clothing, has a very liberal attitude to life, is very secretive over the letters she is writing, and when someone gets hold of one such letter, they read aloud the words "Dearest Jess." Of additional note is that this play was written when homosexuality was still illegal in the UK[[note]]It was only partly decriminalised in 1967[[/note]], so while the secrecy over her letter could be for other reasons (and she could be writing to a friend or relative), it is quite possible that she was writing to a female lover.

Creator/RichardAttenborough originated the role of Det. Sgt. Trotter.

** The script actually points out a deliberate Red Herring, with [spoiler:Mr. Paravicini appearing to be a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute to Detective Poirot. But at the end of the play, we learn he is the exact ''opposite'' of Poirot.]]

The film ''Film/SeeHowTheyRun'' is a murder-mystery set around the play and makes mention of a real contract clause that prohibits an actual movie adaptation from being made while the play is still running.

* DoNotSpoilThisEnding: At the end of the play, the audience is asked not to spoil the ending. No film adaptation (or any other adaptation, for that matter) is allowed to be made while the play is still running. Mass market publication of the script is not allowed in the United Kingdom either. Since it's been running for ''well over seventy years'', it's likely no adaptation will ever see the light of day.[[note]]At least until it enters the public domain, at which time Christie's descendants ''legally can't'' prevent adaptations. That will happen in 2047 in the UK and Europe, and in 2048 in the States.[[/note]] As a matter of fact, Website/TVTropes ain't spoiling either. Got that?

* LongRunner: It has run continuously since its opening, and is in fact the longest running theatrical production ''period.''

* SnowedIn: During the entire play.

** Similarly, Miss Caswell wears masculine clothing, has a very liberal attitude to life, is very secretive over the letters she is writing, and when someone gets hold of one such letter, they read aloud the words "Dearest Jess." Of additional note is that this play was written when homosexuality was still illegal in the UK[[note]]It was only partly decriminalised in 1967[[/note]], so while the secrecy over her letter could be for other reasons (and she could be writing to a friend or relative), it is quite possible that she was writing to a female lover.

* DoNotSpoilThisEnding: At the end of the play, the audience is asked not to spoil the ending. No film adaptation (or any other adaptation, for that matter) is allowed to be made while the play is still running. Mass market publication of the script is not allowed in the United Kingdom either. Since it's been running for ''well over sixty years'', it's likely no adaptation will ever see the light of day.[[note]]At least until it enters the public domain, at which time Christie's descendants ''legally can't'' prevent adaptations. That will happen in 2047 in the UK and Europe, and 2048 in the States.[[/note]] As a matter of fact, Website/TVTropes ain't spoiling either. Got that?