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''The Mousetrap'' is a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie. ''The Mousetrap'' opened in the West End of London in 1952, and has been running continuously since then. It has by far the longest initial run of any play in history, with its 25,000th performance taking place on 18 November 2012. It is the longest running show (of any type) of the modern era. The play is also known for its twist ending, which the audience are traditionally asked not to reveal after leaving the theatre. ==History== The play began life as a short radio play broadcast on 30 May 1947 called ''Three Blind Mice'' in honour of Queen Mary, the consort of King George V. The play had its origins in the real-life case of the death of a boy, Dennis O'Neill, who died while in the foster care of a Shropshire farmer and his wife in 1945. The play is based on a short story, itself based on the radio play, but Christie asked that the story not be published as long as it ran as a play in the West End of London. The short story has still not been published within the United Kingdom but it has appeared in the United States in the 1950 collection ''Three Blind Mice and Other Stories''. When she wrote the play, Christie gave the rights to her grandson Matthew Prichard as a birthday present. In the United Kingdom, only one production of the play in addition to the West End production can be performed annually,〔Haining, Peter. ''Agatha Christie – Murder in Four Acts''. (Page 23). Virgin Books, 1990. ISBN 1-85227-273-2〕 and under the contract terms of the play, no film adaptation can be produced until the West End production has been closed for at least six months. The play had to be renamed at the insistence of Emile Littler who had produced a play called ''Three Blind Mice'' in the West End before the Second World War.〔Saunders, Peter. ''The Mousetrap Man''. (Page 118) Collins, 1972. ISBN 0-00-211538-7〕 The suggestion to call it ''The Mousetrap'' came from Christie's son-in-law, Anthony Hicks.〔Morgan, Janet. ''Agatha Christie, A Biography''. (Page 291) Collins, 1984 ISBN 0-00-216330-6.〕 In Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet'', "The Mousetrap" is Hamlet's answer to Claudius's inquiry about the name of the play whose prologue and first scene the court has just observed (III, ii). The play is actually ''The Murder of Gonzago'', but Hamlet answers metaphorically, since "the play's the thing" in which he intends to "catch the conscience of the king." The play's longevity has ensured its popularity with tourists from around the world. In 1997, at the initiative of producer Stephen Waley-Cohen, the theatrical education charity Mousetrap Theatre Projects was launched, helping young people experience London's theatre.〔("Mousetrap Theatre Projects – History" ), ''Mousetrap Theatre Projects'', March 15, 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-01.〕 Tom Stoppard's 1968 play ''The Real Inspector Hound'' parodies many elements of ''The Mousetrap'', including the surprise ending.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Mousetrap」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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