Be swsysa LQ STDBY LG tice vane THE MOUSETRAP Presented by Peter Saunders at the Ambasadors Theatre, London, W.C.2, con a5th November 1932 with the flowing cart of characters (nth ode 9f ther appears) Mots Racsrox ‘Shale Si Guzs Racsrox Join Pal Cuestorsen Warn “Allow MeCtland Mas Bovis ‘Mion Dery Mayon MercaLr ‘sire Der Mos Cases, Seas Spencer Mx Panawiest “Merin Miler Derecriva Senonavr Trovren Rickard Aesbsgh ‘The play produced by Peter Cotes Décor by Reger Fune SYNOPSIS OF SCENES acr 1 Sori x The Great Hall at Monkowell Manor. Late aflernooe Seeve a Tlie same. The following day after lunch acr it "The same. Ten minus later ‘Tine: te postt THE MOUSETRAP e5- Spoo ine ACT flee mach Scan r Scuwe— The Great Hall at Montell Manor. Late efternon, The house loks nat so mach a pariod pie but 0 howe tbh has : ‘een lod in by ganeations of te same fanily with dining reotrtes, There are tall windows up G3 a Bg cthed opening up m leeling tthe entrance hall, the front door and the kitchen; and an arched opening | % leading upstairs tothe bediooms, Up v leading ofthe sate te door tthe brary down ws the deo 0 the drawing oom: and da ‘he door (opening on stage) tothe dining-room, Ris on doen fropace ad beneath the window 4p 6 2 windna eat and a radian The Hillis frnshed as a lange. There is some goo old ook, including a large refctry table by the wind up 6, 0h oak chest te the entrance hal pn, anda stool onthe stirs. THS curate athe Dy pee SDN MUSE pls farmitirea sft toy a armchat 6a las baler ok Lop | is SS ehait wy and a small Victorian armchair down more thay and ol SUI Sashioned There is a combined desk and bookony State telephone oni ada char beside it. There is another chat up ne by the window, a Canterbury containing newspapers and magacines aboes ‘he faplace and a smal half cru cand table behind te sf, There are top seal brackets over the feplace hich are worked tggtars ned 4 wall bracket onthe wal, ene of the Ubrry door an one fa the si entrance hal which are alas uorked together Thixe ae deuble etch, 1 ofthe arch wpm, and on the doenciage side ofthe door daton Lan \ecsP@a single swith onthe upstage side ofthe door down nu A table lamp a stands on the sofa table, (See the Photeraph ofthe seme and the Ground Plan) Before the Conrans ries the House Lights fade to a complete Buace-Our A and the music of “Three Blind Mice” ts heard. When the Cunrasn rises the stage is in complete darkness. The musie -, Sades giving place to a shrill whistle of the same tane, “Three Blind “Mice”, A woman's piercing seam is heard then @ mixture of mate and feral voces saying: "My God, what’s that” “Went that way!” “Oh, my God!" Tien a police whistle sounds, follewed by seaeral other alice whistles, all of which fade to silence, Voros ow raz Ranto. . .. and according to Scotland Yard, the crime took place at twenty-four Culver Strect, Paddington, The Laowrs come up, revealing the Hall at Monksweell Menor. It is late Liants oe aa THE MOUSETRAP Aer I Sflrteens and alest dark. Snco can be seen falling hewily trough —' Gee mindoes up c. There is a fre burning. A fdshly-painted ign boced 4 standing on ty side on the Licirs against the archuony Uy it hos 9 fn large letters: Monnwans, Maxon Guest House, he murdered worn wa «Ma Maticen Lyon, Ta connerion | 5 CQ Tics wepes waa Me Maro Lyon, fa anexn in the vi felt hat, | {Monin Ratton ers through the arc, yp n. She is tall | inty, wearing a dark overcoat, light scarf, and a soft ys 1g rely au woman with an ingens ay i he tees (dnun ter handbag and glist oh the Smoke oth eae } radi and sults i of daring the tat sph Se a ed inthe da apbard | " 2 certain freezing, particularly at points on the north and noi “Yeast coast of Sctland. re et Beton! Mey Bato! (Raising ns rp sera sara Meer oe a i cg ot Bed ied Mm Getic Grattan ea em, 9 ne al telat wer den [ieee face ltl, Se retiree th ed a SEs Fee ete i bd a i ae ae ir fiat al ean Se od reac at eS ok ig red) (Monae hurvies of up the stairs 1, , Giuss ener from the front door R. He isa rather arrogant but stactoe young man in is iets, He stamps bis felt shake of he note, obéns the oak chest and puts inside a big paper carver he ha bea carping. He takes of his overcoat, at and searf, moves down nd truer thereon the armchair c. Than he goes to the fie and warms kee ands) ‘Guuss (calling) Mollie? Mollic? Mollie? Where are you? (Mouits enters from the arch 1) f Moti (cheeyfulb) Doing all the work, you brute, (Ske erases to Giles) Gus. Oh, there you are—leave it all to me, Shall I stoke the Aga? | | Motorists are waened against ice-bound roads. The heavy now Lag a CR emia con dm tne tyScune 1 THE MOUSETRAP 3 Gus (kitsing her) Hullo, sweetheart, Your nose is cold, Moutie. I've just come in, (She crasss to the fire) Gres. Why? Where have you been? Surely you've not been out in this weather? Moir. I had to go down to the village for some stuff Td forgotten. Did you get the chicken netting? Gunes. Tt wasn’t the right kind. (He sts ov the left arm of the armchair 6) I went on to another dump but that wasn’t any good either, Practically a whole day wasted. My God, I'm half frozen. Gar was skidding like anything. The snow’s coming down thick, What do you bet we're not snowed up tomorrow?’ Motte. Oh dear, I do hope not. (She erasses 19 the radiator and fals id) If only the pipes don't freeze, Gass (rising and moving up to Mellie) We'll have to keep the central heating well stoked up. (He fel the radiator) HP’, not too ‘good—I wish they'd send the coke along. We've not got any too such. ‘MoLtam (moving dawn tothe sofe end sitting) Ob! T do so want ‘everything to go well at first. First impressions are so important. Giss, (moving down to 2 of te sofa) Is everything ready? Nobody's arrived yet, I suppose? Moutie. No, thank goodness. I think everything's in order. ‘Mrs Barlow's hooked it early. Aftaid of the weather, I suppose. ius, What a nuisance these daily women are, That leaves everything on your shoulders. Monaan dod ysl Thi spacer, : Ginss (crassng fo tie fre) So long as you don't ask mc to cook. ‘Morzsa (rising), No, mo, that’s my department. Anyway, we've ft lot of tins in cae we are snowed up, (Ghasig fo Cis) Ob, les, do you think i's going to be all right? Grtxs, Got cold feet, have you? Are you sorry now we didn't sell the,place when your aunt left i to you, instead of having this rad idea of running it ab a guest house? Mouits. No, 'm not, [love it. And talking of a guest house. Just look at that! (She indicates the sign Board in an accusing manner) os (one) Rrety 00d, what? (eerste 2 of he sign boar. ‘Mottie, Tes a disaster! Don't yout see? You've left out the "5, Monkvrell instead of Monkswell. Ginxs. Good Lord, 30 I did. However did I come to do that? But it doesn't really matter, does it? Monkwell is just 2s good a Motte, You're in disgrace. (Se erases o the desk) Go and stoke up the central heating. Giuxs. Across that icy yard! Ugh! Shall I bank it up for the night naw "Motim. No, you don't do that unl ten or eleven oock at rightYoo'<é, age Ww ah 4 THE MOUSETRAP Acr I Guss. How appalling! : forte. Hurry up. Someone may arrive at any minute now, Ge perenne ens fouae. Yes, (She sits at the desk and picks up a paper from it) (rs Boyle, Front Fourposter Room. Major Metcalf, Blue Room. S#«’Miss Casewell, East Room. Mr Wren, Oak Room. Gruss (coi to m of the sofa tbls) T worster what all these people wil be ike, Oughts'e we to have got renin advatce? ‘Mout. Ohno, I don't think so. Gaus, ‘We're rather mugs at this game. Morsie. They bring lugeage. If they don't pay we hang on to ghei luggage: Ts quite nmple Gurs. Pcan’t help thinking we ough to have taken a corre= spondence cours in hotel keeping, We're sure to get had in some way. Their luggage might be just bricks wrapped up in news paper and where should we be then? forum. ‘They all wrote from very good addresses. Gress. That's what servants with forged references do, Some of these pedple may be esiminals hiding from the police. (He ‘mooes up tothe sign board and picks it up) Motus. T don’t care what they are 40 Tong as they pay us seven guineas every week, Gnas. You're such a wonderful woman of business, Molle, Ser ass ine ey card (Curses tirough the arch up’ n, carrying the sign board. Mote swilces on the radio)e= 9 said toa Tad Vorcs ow te Ravio. And according to Scotland Yard, the crime took place at twenty-four Culver Street, Paddington, The mordered woman was a Mrs Maureen Lyon, In connexion with the murder, the police — (More rises and ersses to the armchair o) ‘are anxious to interview a man seen in the vi dark overcoat — (Motzas picks up Giles overcoat) light scarf — | (Moxzan picks up his sagf) 1 and a soft felt hat, | (Morzm picks up bis hat and exits rough the arch up x) ‘Motorists arc warned against ice-bound roads, i (The door belt rings) a ‘The heavy snow is expected to continue, and throughout the | country... ty, wearing aAcrt j Somer THE MOUSBTRAP (Mouse enters, eases to te desk, switches of the radio and sinute now. Iris of though the arch up 3) fran it) | Motase (af) How do you do? ee Cunisroker (gf) Thanks so much. (Curmusrormmr Waew enters through the arch up x with a suiteare at all these whisk he places 8 af the refectry table, He isa rather wildloking vance? neugotie young mar. lis hai i long and untidy and he teers a wowen | lalitie Be. He has a confiding, ales childish maze. i ; ‘Mottin entrs and moves uf C) re hangon | Weather is simply awful. My taxi gave up at your gate, (He ena cone. | «reset and places is hat on the sofa table) Woulda’t attempt the adinsome five. No sporting instines. (Moving up to Molt) Are you Mrs eas Ralston? How delightfull My name's Wren, ‘Motus. How do you do, Mr Wren? ‘Cemisrorsen, You know you're not at all as P'd pictured you. 5 do. Some Pye been thinking of you as a retired General's widow, Indian police. (He ‘Amy. I thought you'd be tersifcally grim and Memsahibish, gua tat the wale pace woud be simply crammed with Bena 1 a ass. Instead, it's heavenly (erasing blow the sofa tov of the sofa 7 PAY we Ty auite Henveny Lovely proorion. (Foning te det) , Mollie. ‘Thats a fake! (Poining af te sofo tabi) Ab, but this table's : genuine. I'm simply going to love this place. (Fie aves belaw the sign board, fmchair c) Have you got any wax flowers or birds of Paradise? Mouse, Yim afd no ne Gaunistornns, What a pity! Well, what about a sideboard? A agon’Tae | Belle plommy mafogsny sdebosed with great solid carved ae ‘Motus. Yes, we have—in the dining-room (Ske glances atthe door don 8) ‘Caunssroruan ( following her glance) In here? (He moves down x i i. and opens the doer) T must eet (Comssrormer exits io the dining-room and Moxie follows hin, Guuxs enters through the archoay up x. He looks round and examines the suilease, ‘Hearing vices from the dining-room, Gutzs exits up x) Mor (gf) Do come and warm yourself (Motase enters from the ining oom, flloed by Castors. pn) | Guim mone) Cxnstorten (09 he enters) Absolutely perfect. Real bedrock, respectability. But why do away with a centre mahogany table? (Looking of 8) Little tables just spoil the effect. (Guus enters up ond stands 1 ofthe large armchair w) aghout the| 6 THE MOUSETRAP crt Mouuiz, We thought guests would prefer them—this is my : ad Giles and shoking hands with hi iamsrornaR (moving yp i Giles and shaking hands with hin) atda yo dot Tell weates i'e i Tae one back to Dickens and Scrooge and that irritating Tiny Tim. So bogus. (Ge tars tere te fie) Of conse, Ms Ralston, you're absolutely i ight about the little tables, [ was being carzied away by my fecling for pesiod. IF you bad a mahogany diningtable, you'd have to have the right family round it. (He tons f Giles) Stern handsome father with beard, prolific, faded mother, eleven children of assorted ages, a grim governess, and somebody called "poor Harriet”, the poor relation who acts as general dogsbody | and is very, we) grateful for being given a good home! i Giues (disliking him) TIL take your suitcase upstairs for you. | (He picks up te sitease, To Moll) Oak Room, did you say? j ‘Mocs. Yes. Cunasrormen. I do hope that it's got a fourposter with Jittle i hincz roses? ‘Guues. Lehasn't. i (Guus exits 1 up the stains wits the suitase) i Cussroruan, I don’t believe your husband is going to like { me. (Moving « fw paces tovards Mollie) How long have you been | married? Are you very much in love? ‘Mout (caldl)) We've been married just a year. (Moving i towards the sans 1) Perhaps you'd like to go up and see your Ih ‘Camusrorsen, Ticked off! (He moves abooe the sofa table) But 1 i do 89 like knowing all about people. I mean, T think people are s0 madly interesting. Don't you? } Morin, Well, I suppose tome are and (turing to Clristopher) I some are not. Crmisrornur, No, I don't agrec. They're all interesting, because you never really know what anyone is like—or what they are really thinking. For instance,-you don’t know what I'm think I ing about now, do you? (He smilis as at some secret jake) ‘Motiie, Not ia the least, (She moves down to the sofa table and takes a cigarete from the box) Cigarette? ‘Gnnisroruer, No, thank you, (Moving fon of Mollie) You see? ‘The only people who really know what other people are like are aartists—and they don’t know why they know it! But if they're portrait painters (le moves ¢) it comes out—{le sits ow the right arm af the fa) on the canvas. ‘Moutis. Are you a painter? (She lights her eigereti) Garusrormn. No, I'm an architect. My parents, you know, | baptized me Christopher, in the of that I would be an archi- | tect. Christopher Wren! (He laughs) As good as halfway home. ‘Retualy, of course, everyone laughs about it and makes jokes(Standby Acr 1 em—this is my hands with hini) ses one back to . So bogus. u're absolutely d away by my ngetable, you'd ¥ fo Giles) Stern ‘mother, eleven amebody called sneral dogsbody home! potas for you you say? ster with little SONS «SQ Dost pi @sQ ™ dooce! is going to like hhave you been year (Moving >and see your ‘ofa table) But I Bink people aze «g to Christopher) all interesting, 2—or what they what I’m think # joke) fie sofa table and \eie) You see? ple are like are P But i they're # onthe right arm vette) rts, you know, lid be an archi- halfway home. fad makes jokes | Sone THE MOUSETRAP 2 ‘about St Paul's, However—who knows?—I may yet have the last laugh. | (Gruss enters fiom the archway up x and crosses tthe arch up ®) ‘Chris Ween's Prefab Nests may yet go down in history! (To | Giles) I'm going to like it here. I find your wife most sympathetic. | Giese (ely), Tadd. | Gaanusroonien (larning to look at Mollie) And really very | beautiful ‘Mout, Ob, don’t be absurd. | (Gruss leans on the back ofthe large armchai) ‘Cunusrorsn. There, ién't that like an Englishwoman? Co jents always embarrass them. European women take compl ents as a matter of course, but Englishwomen have all the feminine spirit crushed out of them by their husbands, (He tur eed bs ot Gla) There's something very boosh about Engh hbusbands. ‘Mout (hasty) ‘Come up and sce your room. (She erases to | the arch up v) Cunsstoraen. Shall 1? | Monti (lo Giles) Could you stoke up the hot water boiler? _ se, Cuaron eit pth st 1. Ge sel ‘and roses to 6. The door bell peals. There isa pause then it pals | several times impatiently, ‘Giuss exit huridly up m to the front dors The sound of wind ‘and snow is heard for a momet or iz) Ms Bovis (of) This és Monkswell Manor, T presume? Gnas (of) Yes... (Ms Bovts enters trough th archoay up m,ccrying suitcase, sane magoines on fr gloss, Sh ta larg, ingaring seman it tery bad teper) Ms Bove. I am Mrs Bayle, (She puts don the siteas) ‘Guus, I'm Giles Ralston, Gome in to the fire, Mrs Boyle, and get warm, (Mrs Boyt moves down to te fre) Awful weather, isn't i? Is this your only luggage? Mas Boyz A Major—Metcalf, is it?—is seeing to it. | Giurs, Tl leave the door for hitn. (Gruss goes out tote front door) Mrs Boyt. The taxi wouldn't risk coming up the drive. i (Gruzs returns and comes down to of Mrs Beye) | atstopped at the gate. We had to share a taxi from the station—1B MOUSETRAP Aer I and there was great difficulty in getting thal. (Accasing)) Nothing ordered to meet us, it seems, Gitss. I'm so sorry. We didn’t know what train you would be coming by, you see, otherwise of course, we'd have seen that someone was—cr—standing by. ‘Mrs Bovte. All trains should have been met. Gres, Let me take your coat. (Mrs Bowne hands Giles her gloves end magazines. She stands by the fre warning her hands) My wife will be heze in a moment. I'l just go along and give Mercalfa hand with the bags. (Garces exits up tothe front door) Mrs Bovur (mscing up tothe arch as Giles gves) ‘The drive might at least have been cleared of snow. (After his exit) Most offhand and casual, T must say. (She moves down fo the fie ard looks rod her eisaprovingd) (Mote fries in from the stairs 1, a litle brates) Mouus. I'm so sorry I... ‘Mas Bovis. Mrs Ralston? Mouum. Yes. I. (She cross to Mrs Bople, half pute out her hand, then dra it back, uncertain of what guesthouse proprietors are suppesed to do) (Mrs Bovis surceys Molle with dspleaare) ‘Mas Bovis. You're very young. Morem, Young? Mas Bovts. To be cunning an establishment of this kind, You ca have had ch pe anng fonts (backing atu)’ There has to be a beginning for every. thing tae thee gins enn Te, pit nespeined (he as nd) An ‘old house. 1 hope you haven't got dry rot. (She onifs picts ‘Mouse (ilignon) Cevtaaly not » ‘Ms Bovis. A lot of people don’t know they have gat dry rot aoe ere Bem tse” 7 Bt et iy ‘Motte. The house is in perfect condition, ‘Mes Bove. H’m—it could do with a coat of paint, You know, you've got worm in this oalkeusaed Gites (of) ‘This way, Major. (Grens and Major Mircaue enter up Re Major Metcalf és a ‘middle-aged, square-shouldered man, very military in manner and bear~ ing. Gites moves up &. Major Masten puts diva a suitase he carrying and moves above the armchair C3 Mouse mies up fo set him) ‘This is my wife.