It’s a very special year this year for Agatha Christie’s classic play ‘The Mousetrap’. The play is famous for holding the record for the longest running piece of theatre in history. The Hobart Rep Company are putting the play on in this a very special year and I spoke to director Ingrid Ganley about the longevity of the play and celebrating its 60th anniversary.
So, why is the play so well patronised even after so long?
Ingrid says because the book is not so readily available and the only way for a wider public to experience the mystery it is by going to see the play, and of course there is a certain status acquired in being part of this historical drama and record holding play.
There is a tradition of telling the audience at the end of the performance not to divulge the ending to anyone so as not to spoil the mystique around the play. A spoiler is that Wikipedia much to the chagrin of Ms Christie’s descendants have spilt the beans as to the ending.
There is a story Ingrid told me that once London cabbies who don’t get tips, would threaten their patrons with telling them the ending of the celebrated whodunit!
The play does not boast one of Agatha’s great detectives like Poirot or Miss Marple yet it is full of classic twists that we are so familiar with in Agatha Christie.
This production has many of the usual rep players you know as well as an exciting young new comer in Eleanor Morgan a third year Uni student in Fine Arts. To cap it off Eleanor is from England so the production keeps some of that authentic English feel, as it should be in this year of honouring the British literary classic.
The play may be special but so is Ingrid the director. Ingrid got her start with the Old Nick Company and has worked with John Clarke from NIDA and has acted as an assistant director to Robert Jarman. Last year Ingrid directed ‘Noises off’. Being an Agatha Christie fan and having worked on ’Black coffee’ another Agatha production last year it’s a real treat for Ingrid this year to direct ‘The Mousetrap’. Ingrid is also a talented director of Shakespeare and each year she is involved with producing the Shakespeare in the park productions.
Ingrid is still able to fit in a day job but she calls her foray into theatre, which includes familiarisation with all aspects, including sewing costumes as a ‘serious hobby’ she loves theatre because it gives instant feedback. The play is ready and all we need now, Ingrid says, the missing ingredient… the audience!
With the film version rights to ‘The Mousetrap’ not up for grabs until the West End production has been closed for six months and with only one other production outside the West End to be produced annually as well as all the fanfare of it being in its 6oth year it’s probably a good idea to get along to this production.
The mouse trap will be performed at the Playhouse from the 25th of May to the 9th of June.
And if you are wondering how The Mousetrap got its name it was named by Anthony Hicks, Agatha Christie’s son in law. Its derivation comes from Hamlet when Hamlet is asked by Claudius the name of the play they have just seen. Hamlet incorrectly tells him it is called ‘The Mousetrap’ because he aims to ‘catch the king’ in its performance.
Paula Xiberras
