The Greatest Mystery in Theatre Opens Theatre Calgary’s Season
Theatre Calgary is thrilled to open its ‘Theatre For All’ season with the classic whodunit The Mousetrap, by the world’s greatest mystery writer, Agatha Christie.
On a dark and snowy night, seven strangers find themselves trapped in a remote English guesthouse. The next morning, the snowed-in guests are joined by a police sergeant who brings news of a grisly murder in London. To the guests’ horror, he reveals that the killer may very well be in their midst. The thrills and suspense begin as the sergeant delves into the histories of the guests to uncover sordid pasts, as audiences will race to put the pieces of the puzzle together before the final curtain.
While Theatre Calgary has produced numerous mysteries and thrillers in its 56-year history, this season will see a Christie play produced on our stage for the very first time.
“The Mousetrap is the greatest mystery in theatre history,” says Theatre Calgary Artistic Director Stafford Arima. “Since its premiere in 1952, the play has wowed London audiences with over 30,000 performances. I can’t think of a better way to open our ‘Theatre For All’ season than with a play that is as entertaining, approachable, and universally appealing as the rest of our lineup will be.”
Directing The Mousetrap is former Vertigo Theatre Artistic Director Craig Hall, who is very familiar with this play and Christie’s work. “When the curtain rises, audiences will quickly see how a masterpiece of genre can defy time and expectation,” says Hall. “And, maybe most importantly, about how even contemporary audiences have an innate desire to suspend their disbelief and be thrilled. My hope is that this excellent team of artists can give everyone thrills and a much needed escape.”
Providing those thrills will be a cast that includes some very familiar faces to Theatre Calgary audiences including Tyrell Crews, Natascha Girgis, Christian Goutsis, Vanessa Leticia Jetté, Robert Klein, and Mike Tan. Making their Theatre Calgary debuts in The Mousetrap are Kit Benz and Matthew Mooney.
The Mousetrap runs at Theatre Calgary from September 12 - October 8 in the Arts Commons Max Bell Theatre. This year, as part of Theatre Calgary’s ‘Theatre For All’ initiative, all seats on the main floor of the theatre are just $39 for all regular performances. They are selling quickly, and can be purchased online at theatrecalgary.com. Subscriptions are also still available for the remaining six shows in the season.
“And remember,” says Arima, “don’t tell anyone whodunit!”
