The Mousetrap
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Agatha Christie's 1952 murder mystery, "The Mousetrap," presented by Lyric Arts Theatre, Anoka, Minnesota. Recorded on Thursday, March 10, 2022. No ownership claimed. This was filmed with an iPhone at the back of the theater--single shot and the sound quality is less than ideal. Just an archival video of a stage production.
Cast:
Sergeant Trotter/Sebastian Grim
Mollie Ralston/Isabella Dunsieth
Giles Ralston/Nick Furlong
Christopher Wren/Andrew Newman
Miss Casewell/Rachel Postle
Mr. Paravicini/Raul Arambula
Major Metcalf/David Coral
Mrs. Boyle/Miriam Monasch
Craig Johnson/Director
Joe Black/Stage Manager
Greg Vanselow/Set
Samantha Fromm Haddow/Costumes
Madeline Achen/Props
Shannon Elliott/Lights
Christy C. Johnson/Sound
Director's Notes:
This is the third production of "Mousetrap" I've worked on and I was quite satisfied with the results. The show sold remarkably well given the COVID-19 pandemic still present. No company members got sick (understudies were on hand). Lyric Arts performs in a handsome, converted movie theater space in downtown Anoka (A Minneapolis suburb)--about 220 seats. The theater is part of a trend in this area: stepping away from its community theater roots and offering actors modest stipends.
Scenically, "Mousetrap" works best if you follow the ground plan and stage directions closely. Otherwise, the Clue-like layout of house and plot points can get problematic.
I had the opportunity to participate in one community theatre's production of THE MOUSETRAP in 1983, in which I played Christopher Wren, then moved to another community and in 2014 I got to participate again, but this time as Mr. Paravcini. I enjoyed watching this show (the stage is a bit different than I was familiar with) but each company gets the opportunity to make each production unique to their circumstances. I'm hoping to get to London to see the long-running show at some point!
Omg you’re so lucky :0
Agatha Christie at her Best!!!😅
Thank you!
Bookmark
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for people using this as reference to audition for casewell, here are all her scenes:
15:18
26:02
40:47
59:10
1:27:12
1:52:42
Here after watching see how they run 😂
Same.
Yup. Literally just switched it off.
Me too!
Dude yesss
I saw this on Wednesday at the Manchester opera House
Nice production. I've managed to go this long without either seeing a production, reading the play, or otherwise having the ending spoiled so searched UA-cam and found this. I watched it with the play at hand to catch all the dialogue. Thanks!
Thanks so much!
I did this play many years ago in college. I played Trotter. At the reading rehearsal the director learned none of us knew the play. He gave us scripts without the last few pages. We rehearsed not knowing who the killer was. He said he made our job easier. We wouldn't have to "act" not knowing the killer's identity.
I saw this in London in 1968 when I was 14. Nice to be able to see it again.
thank you. im a big agatha christie fan. i just tried if someone uploaded the mousetrap. thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for uploading this! I'll never have a chance to go watch it in its original version.
Having watched parts of the other versions on YT, i was very disappointed. This version is absolutely the best on here. From the stage setup to the acting, line delivery, the pic of actors for the parts. Absolutely awesome! I'd love to see what they do with other Agatha Christie material.
Craig and Cast:
That was a great job! Like a few others who have commented, I've been an Agatha Christie fan for years, and have read all of her books, but held off on this one. I had hoped to be able to watch it at the West End but my trips to England were too complicated to make it work. I didn't want to read the play until I saw it. Started 3 other versions that are also online, but came back to this and finished it. Your production is clearly the best -- casting, staging, vocal projection, and acting! A little difficult to pick up on some of the lines, but what can be expected. I'm just very happy that you recorded it and made it available for those of us who may never be able to watch it live. I just subscribed. I want to see your future productions. Happy holidays to your group.
Thanks so much, SJ, appreciate the good words. You're right--it was just an archival recording using my iPhone, so the itty-bitty mic is pretty limited. Appreciate the good words. I've got a few more full plays uploaded if you want to catch others sometimes.
Like the others I realized I may never get to see the original production in London and was not spoiled. Yours was the best UA-cam version by a lot! Very very enjoyable. Congrats and hope to see more of your work.
Thanks so much--appreciate the kind words. It's such a fun play to work on for the plot and characters.
I too was saddened by the realization that I may never be able to see the original production starring Richard Attenborough, but I'm going to see how I like this one. I hope I like it! Fingers crossed!
I want to play Mr. Paravicini so badly aaaaaaaaaaaa! My friend and I have decided that Giles climbing out of a window is a regular occurrence. Like “You’re cheating on me with your totally gay friend Christopher >:[“ *climbs out window*
Huge agatha christie fan and had NEVER heard of this play until I watched "see how they run" last night, and unfortunately the pastiche of that film did inform me as to what this ending was going to be... and honestly whenever you hear IT HAS A FAMOUS TWIST ENDING you definitely start sniffing out what could be the most delicious twist. but still THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for the upload! dont think id ever have a chance to see it otherwise
You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment.
My favorite theatre play ever!It raised my standards❤
Anyone came here from see how they run
There will be auditions for this play in August 2023 in Coppell, Texas. I might audition for a role, but I need a British accent. I am practicing and watching this play it really helps. Thank you for sharing this wonderful play. Greetings from Texas.
You're welcome. Best wishes on your audition.
Don't worry... the accents didn't matter for this production. lol
This was my first high school play in Feb of 1976. We did it in the round on the stage, with audience on all four sides. I was Maj. Metcalf. Lots of fun for all, and we also won a local award for it.
Christopher Wren is adorable!!!!
Absolutely good performance. A perfect stage direction and remarkable actors. Best compliments.
Thanks so much. Appreciate the kind words!
@@Craig4604 It was my pleasure, Mr Johnson. Your stage direction really impressed me. An elegant and refined 'mise en scene' of this Agatha Christie's masterpiece. This is the real British atmosphere that I love.
The accents are pretty good!
I had a very hard time understanding the dialogue. It was very loud but unclear. Had to give up.:(
Sorry it didn't work for you. Obviously, this was just an iPhone archival recording of a live performance. Hope you found a better one.
There are tours on. I watched it in Oxford this week, it was really funny.
I watched this play last week in Indiana and I’ve gotta say, it’s rather slow-paced but keeps you on the edge of your seat.
wow. this is a brilliant story and a brilliant production. im quite proud of myself for having suspected pretty much what was revealed at the end for quite some time
ضخضهصخسخشحضجش god is good
Watched the show on tour earlier today- watching this back is so fascinating seeing everything unfold, this time the clues blindingly obvious! Great production,amazing acting 👏
Watching after seeing this on stage for the first time yesterday. Such a fun play, you all did a great job btw
Thanks so much! I think it’s fun to watch mysteries a second time just to track the clues.
That was really well done, I'm impressed. The British accents sounded real, excellent!
Thanks so much!
Finally saw it tonight, after about 30 years of knowing of its existence. A very good production in a most excellent old theatre.
Trotter looks like what I picture Christopher Wren as
I read him for both roles at auditions. He could have done either.
Y’know what I realized, (this doesn’t take away my love of the play but still) there are no clues that point towards the murderer, which I hate because I believe that the reader should try to solve it too so why does a play with no clues have ran for nearly 70 years?
I think it needs to take multiple re watches to pick up on the clips.
Ok, it’s 2024. Maybe it’s time to film this in 4K and edit out all the cigarette smokers coughing their brains out in the audience?
Ridiculous how far back this was filmed, and the echo makes it practically impossible to hear. A complete WASTE.
Did you know the late Derek Guyler holds the position of being the longest running actor to star in the west end in a single play.
He hold the record for appearing in every version of “The Mousetrap” in the west end and can still be heard, via a recording, reading the radio news bulletin in the play to this present day.
That’s amazing. Here in Minneapolis, there was a couple who performed the musical I Do I Do for over 20 years-impressive but no match for Derek & Mousetrap!
Great work. Really well cast. How many shows did you perform? That’s an epic set!
Thanks! The production ran four weeks, Thu-Sun, so 16 performances.
@@Craig4604 *FOUR WEEKS!?!* Even the plays *I* go to aren’t that long! And one time it lasted all week!
I just went to see this live in my country and I just loved it so much and needed to see it again
👏👏👏
I love Agatha Christie's Mousetrap. It's one of my favorites. When I was in London in the '90's, I wanted to see the "longest running play," so I went to see it. They made some changes from the original. I was underwhelmed with the performances, but I can say I saw the longest running play. :)
Fun Fact (i think): In the background, there (probably) is a photo of younger Agatha Christie
Good eye--you're correct, it is Agatha Christie.
I am in 8th grade and we needed to watch this as an assignment for theatre. I'm not going to lie, I was so confused.🤣 We are currently learning about Agatha Christie and I love her. My favorite plays of her's are "The Mousetrap" and "And Then There Were None." Thank you for this video. I really appreciate it and have a great day!
Thanks for the message. Glad you're studying Agatha Christie. Hope the video was helpful. She also wrote many novels. They're super fun. My favorite is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
@@Craig4604 Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get to that script yet, however, I might be able to convince my director to let us study that next. 😁
I just wanted to tell the story:
When I was just a little baby my mother got me a round, plastic, yellow music box with butterflies inside of it. My mom decided to keep it despite the fact that it wasn’t used and I grew up.
Just recently I found it again in my old bedroom when I visited her. I always loved the little song that the music box was/is playing. So I decided to search for it online. Possibly find out the title of the song, and the name of the toy. After a failed attempt to get any information. I gave up.
Fast forward: I’ve just recently seen the movie titled See How They Run. I love Agatha Christie. Always loved. But never ever actually seen the play, Mousetrap.
So thus me being here. I loved it! Very nice production!
Back to the story:
Meanwhile I was watching it the nursery song became hauntingly familiar. First it was not, but then… oh my my my!
It was the song that my little music box from my childhood plays. I had a shocking realization… So many emotions. Let me tell you that :)
So I suppose I owe you a great gratitude.
Thank you so much for sharing this video. I had to see this play. I had to be patient (that’s my lesson to learn in this life)
what a lovely story!!! i’m not sure if you know the name of the music now but if you don’t it’s the tune of the nursery rhyme “three blind mice”. if i’m not mistaken the reason they used the music in this production is because “the mousetrap” started as a radio play which was called “three blind mice”
If anyone’s reading this, tell me which character is your favorite? Mine’s Christopher Wren! EDIT: Also, if possible, can you put English captions for the poor of translating (me)?
I love Christopher Wren too--so funny and vulnerable. You should be able to turn on the closed captions: hover over the video and you should see the CC box. Hope that helps!
@@Craig4604 Thanks, it did!
Paravicini…mostly because I auditioned for him
Watching for research! I have a callback for the show 😁😁 thanks for uploading! 💕
Best wishes!
Those British accents are absolutely remarkable, old chap!
I don’t care what anyone else thinks, this counts as a film adaptation!
This was written as a radio thing originally. Agatha Christie wrote it for that, but people decided do make it a play, it's so good! I went and saw it yesterday and honestly it was better than this own on UA-cam lol
i was in a version when i was in Job Corp. In Utah
I met Miriam Monash in the 1970s.
Thanks a lot for uploading cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
Thanks, Canada!!
Watched it yesterday at the theatres. Today one is way better acting
Thank you very much for uploading this! I am a student director in high school that will be putting on this show with a group of people in my theatre class. This has been an amazing tool to look for some inspiration for blocking and set design. Your entire cast and crew did a lovely job!
You are welcome--this is exactly why I put this on UA-cam. Keep the ground plan and where people enter/exit just as Agatha says; make sure the library door DR opens onto the stage and is hinged on the DS side--it all helps the mystery! Best wishes with your production.
@@Craig4604 Thanks a ton for the suggestion! I’m planning on keeping as true to the original vision as possible, but due to it being a high school production I may have to take a few creative liberties. Luckily it’ll be a good chance to get some extreme set building experience in haha
Came here after director Rajiv Rai's Interview
This seemed more like a comedy rather than an Agatha Christie play.
Interesting--I do think Christie loads a noticeable amount of character comedy and verbal wit on the front end of her plays and novels, and then allows the jolt of a murder to darken the situation.
@@Craig4604 I see. That's a fair argument.
I loved this! I am a huge Agatha Christie fan; but I had never had a chance to see Mousetrap before. I bought the book; but then, never read it; because I wanted to see it performed.
Fortunately for me, I found your production and I enjoyed it immensely! Even more than I expected too.
I read and watch a lot of mysteries and pride myself on my ability, to figure out "who done it." And I have succeeded in guessing the ending to the majority of the Agatha Christie books, I have read. However, I did not guess this one correctly. Which thrilled me to no end!
Also, this was a really beautiful production. From the acting and directing; to the set design and lighting. Every part of this production, was superlative! And I look forward to seeing any and all plays, you may do in the future!
Thanks so much for the comment--so glad you enjoyed the show. I had a great team to work with, and of course the script is rock solid and so much fun. This was the third time I've don Mousetrap, and it was really fun to revisit.
The trap slowly closes on the twins
I only heard of the play. Is there a book, and if, What is it's Title?
Gluh
great
A very impressive set, Mr. Vanselow.
12:00
21:53
it's just too hard to hear for me sadly
Sorry about that--I know, just an iPhone recording from the back of the theater. Thanks for giving it a try!
Difficult to understand with the attempted accents.
I got a question I saw the mousetrap at Manchester opera House on 30th November 2022 and it didn't start with the woman screaming and police whistles, after the intro music the radio broadcast started as usual was the scream added in later? Also the burnt dinner gag was different, instead of Mollie running to the kitchen Christopher Wren runs into the drawing room with a baking tray with a burnt dinner and said "looks like dinners ready"
It sounds like the production you saw didn't choose to use the sound effects package at the top of the show that is provided with the standard licensing of the script.The Christopher Wren re-appearance at the end isn't the ending in the acting edition of the script, but it makes more sense since he's told to watch Mollie's dinner. Thanks for the comment!
@@Craig4604 I've noticed that most high school plays and amator production don't do the "because you watched our play your an accomplice to murder" speech is that optional?
@@pavilionlakebooks8479 You're right. That's also not written into the acting edition of the script that theaters receive when they license the play. It's part of the original London production and is used frequently.
@@Craig4604 so the version I watched in Manchester must of been the original script, since it was the 70th anniversary tour
@@pavilionlakebooks8479 Yes, you were almost certainly watching an exact version of the London production. Thanks for those observations. I'll probably incorporate them if I direct the show again!
Bravo 🤗
This was a little too easy to figure out
Whe do am dram actors face the audience and project their voice when they speak? It is unnatural and breaks the forth wall.
this is actually a very interesting question! if you don't want the answer feel free to ignore me :)
there are lots of different styles and techniques to drama, and pure realism is far from the only one. projection of voice and facing the audience are generally used to make the words clearer and facial expressions easier to see, or can be used for emphasis in techniques such as asides for comedy, direct address or to convey this character is hiding something for the others. techniques that break the fourth wall and remind the audience they're seeing a performance, not real people, are often called Brechtian or Epic theatre, and are used to challenge the audience to think critically rather than straight-up accepting what they see and are told.
agatha christie's writing of strongly stereotyped, strange characters you wouldn't just meet in your day-to-day life (foreign smuggler who likes talking, neurodivergent-coded young man who doesn't read social cues well and has some childish mannerisms, older woman who constantly complains, socially active young woman who wears pants and makes dark jokes) is indicative of absurdist theatre, meaning this type of exaggerated, non-realistic performance is likely what she was attempting to get across. a good example of another play with these character and writing choices would be Ruby Moon, which leans much more into the absurdism but has similar themes of solving a mystery and how our society treats children.
hope that helps in some way! do tell me if I'm making no sense haha
God bless :)
@@brotemca8020 That makes perfect sense. Thank you for the reply. I have seen many of Shakespeare's plays where this happens too, even with people like Kenneth Branagh and Dustin Hoffman in the lead roles.
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Me too 😊
This is Very Bad. Everyone overacting to the point of silliness.
Why did you film this? They tell you not to.
Thanks for the good question. I film productions I direct 1. as an archival record (the single iPhone shot and sound makes it barely adequate) and I think of UA-cam as a shelf where I can park it, 2. as an option for people in the show to use clips for their acting audition reels or for family/friends who couldn't make a live performance (this one was during COVID, for example), and 3. as a resource for other people preparing a live production who might like a reference for how to do things (or not!). Interestingly, UA-cam often flags material but acknowledges the owners allow it to be posted without penalty (and without any income generated). I presume they think it's a good way to promote a piece as a fun show to license and produce. I was once asked to remove a different video and immediately did so. Hope that clarifies. Thanks again.
In the British production touring the UK at the moment the Molly Ralston character is being portrayed is by a black actress. I have seen the play in Manchester and to witness this in what is a quintessentially English 1950`s set Agatha Christie mystery is jarring, disconcerting and just plain miscast. In Britain today no matter what the production is, be it film, television or theatre a ethnic presence has to by levered in or else be accused of racism and never see the light of day again. Freedom of expression in this country is being stiffed if you went to a producer these days and said to him it`s a all white cast it would stand no chance of being made if it did not meet the ethnic tick box.
This is an extremely inappropriate and incorrect comment. Diversity is necessary in productions and actors of color are often times not given chances to perform. It’s amazing that a black actress was given the chance to have such a large role, and if actors of color being on stage takes away from your experience then YOU are the problem. Have some class.
@@cantaloupe2098 Everything that is uttered in today`s society if it is detrimental to race is deemed inappropriate as you put it.That`s why constructive dialogue cannot take place even when obviously true. The actress in this case was a box ticker that`s all put there for people like yourself .There are plenty of better white performers at this and far more natural .Not only that she was a bad actress so what other reason could there be in this particular part.
@@colinmcginn977 Your issue seems to be with actors of color getting cast at all. That is a racist sentiment and leads me to believe that you don’t understand the true purpose of theatre. Everyone’s voice is important, and talented actors of color are necessary. That performer wasn’t just cast because of their ethnicity, they were cast because of their talent. Whether or not you think they were miscast is your own opinion and definitely not an objective fact. If a director casts an actor then they clearly believed they were the best fit for the role
@@cantaloupe2098 exactly. I'm a white actor myself and have no problem with the historical accuracy of a play being adjusted if it means including actors of colour. If an audience needs everything historically accurate to understand the message of a play they're not really listening to the words of the characters are they? They're being distracted by something like ethnicity. The racist implications of that are pretty obvious to me. When I hear theatre audiences say things like that, they're ironically missing the point of the artform, which is to listen to the *ideas* being wrestled with
The real mystery is how Agatha Christie got away with writing such garbage for 50 years.
Hey! This is a perfect murder mystery! I am aware there are no clues whatsoever to point to the murderer but still! Let me ask you this: if you think this play is garbage, then why did you watch it?
Best quality version on UA-cam, thanks