The Mousetrap, by Agatha Christie, opened in London on October 6, 1952, and has never closed. There have now been over 29,000 performances in London. What better way to celebrate the Walpole Footlighters 100th anniversary season than with a production of the longest running play in the history of the world?

After a local woman is murdered, the guests and staff at Monkswell Manor find themselves stranded during a snowstorm. It soon becomes clear that the killer is among them, and the seven strangers grow increasingly suspicious of one another. A police detective, arriving on skis, interrogates the suspects: the newlyweds running the house, a female traveler with a curious background, an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef, a retired Army major, a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift, and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone. When a second murder takes place, tensions and fears escalate. 

The Walpole Footlighters production of The Mousetrap, directed by Peter McElhinney, is a perfect diversion for a cold winter evening with its mix of mystery and humor.

Norwood actors Mark Adams and Gregory Kleciak are both starring in the production. Mark plays Major Metcalf, the retired army officer, and Gregory plays the skiing Detective Sergeant Trotter. Mark is a seasoned Footlighters veteran (he’s in his fourth production with the group), while Gregory is making his Footlighters debut.

The Footlighters are starting a long-term plan to make the theater more accessible in conjunction with their 100th anniversary. The theater always has hearing assistance devices for hearing impaired audience members. For visually impaired audience members there will be a touch tour of the stage at 1:10 p.m., prior to the February 4th performance, and a touch table in the lobby at every performance.

Performances of The Mousetrap are at the Walpole Footlighters Playhouse at 2 Scout Road in East Walpole. Long-time patrons are asked to take note of the new, earlier start time for evening performances; those performances will be on February 2, 3, 9, 10 and 17 at 7:30 PM. There will also be matinee performances on February 4 and 18 at 2:00 PM. Concessions will be available.  Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets can be purchased online at www.footlighters.com.

This production is sponsored in part by the Walpole Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.