Keep the Secret

 A dear friend gave me the 70th Anniversary edition of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap for my birthday, and last night I read it (or rather, devoured it).  It contains the script for the play and a whole history, including past programmes, a timeline of significant events, major reviews and all the records that this play has broken.

The play itself was full of tension and suspense, even without the staging and music one would get in a live performance.  And I was charmed that it was the first play to reopen in the West End after the Covid lockdowns, becoming a symbol of recovery for the theatre community.

But the most delightful part was the #keepthesecret speech.  At the end of every show, someone says:  'Now that you have seen The Mousetrap, you are our partners in crime and in order to preserve the tradition of The Mousetrap we ask you to keep the secret of whodunnit locked in your hearts.'  Of course, not everyone has listened to this plea, especially after the advent of the internet, but it's still a fantastic little piece of theatre.  It makes everyone who has seen it (or read it) part of a distinct community.

I now know whodunnit, after years of wondering.  And no, I'm not going to tell you.  😄