The play began life as a short radio play written by Agatha Christie as a birthday present for Queen Mary, the consort of King George V. It was broadcast on 30 May 1947 under the … See more

• Mollie Ralston – Proprietor of Monkswell Manor, and wife of Giles.
• Giles Ralston – Husband of Mollie who runs Monkswell Manor with his wife.
• Christopher … See more

The play is set in the Great Hall of Monkswell Manor, Berkshire, in what Christie described as "the present".
Act I
Act I opens with the … See more

The play was published as a paperback by Samuel French Ltd as French's Acting Edition No. 153 in 1954 and is still in print. It was first published in hardback in The Mousetrap and Other … See more

As a stage play, The Mousetrap had its world premiere at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, on 6 October 1952. It was originally directed by Peter Cotes, elder brother of John and Roy Boulting, the film directors. Its pre-West End tour then took it to the See more

The murderer's identity is divulged near the end of the play, in a twist ending that is unusual for playing with the very basis of the traditional whodunnit formula, where the See more

The play made little stir in the review pages of the British press when it opened. The Manchester Guardian commented that it was "a … See more