FEATUREMouse trap mystery

www.pestmagazine.co.uk January & February 201222 pest

A mystery thatscreams murderAgatha Christie's classic murder mystery play, , is the world'slongest running stage production and celebrates its 60th anniversary thisyear. Like mice that take the bait in the device that shares the same name,Nick Warburton gets hooked

The Mousetrap

Agatha Christie

The two crimes may not be related but in both cases the culpritresponsible is eventually caught. In one, a trail of food debris leftscattered around a gnawed cereal box is found to be the work of ahungry mouse. In the other, the murder of a woman at a guesthouse in a converted manor leads to a surprising plot twist and themurderer apprehended.

Similarly, like the house that becomes a magnet for mice looking forwarmth and food, Agatha Christie's popular murder mystery playhas never ceased to draw the crowds to London's West End insearch of entertainment.

Premiered at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham on 6 October 1952,Agatha Christie's stage play began its 60-yearrun on London's West End at the Ambassadors Theatre on25 November 1952 with Richard Attenborough and his fellow film-star and wife, Sheila Sim taking the leading roles.

After 21 successful years, the stage production moved next door toSt Martin's Theatre, reopening on the 25 March 1974, and it is stillpulling the crowds. The play's enduring appeal with audiences hasled to a Guinness World Record for the 'longest continuous run ofany show in the world'.

This year celebrates its 60th anniversary and thestage production will begin its first ever UK tour in September.

Yet with over 60 productions worldwide, in over 50 languages, itmay surprise readersto learn that ‘TheMousetrap’ was notits original name.

In fact, Christie's playwas originally called

and was based on ashort story, itself anadaptation from a30-minute radio playwith the same title,which was broadcastin 1947.

In the radioproduction, AgathaChristie drew on therecent real-life caseof a boy who haddied while in fostercare.

According to Peter Saunders, the author of the 1972 book,, the play had to be renamed when Emile Littler,

the producer of another play called , which hadenjoyed a run on the West End before the Second World War,objected to Agatha Christie's use of the title.

In a 1984 biography of the author, Janet Morgan revealed that itwas Christie's son-in-law, Anthony Hicks, who came up with the titleof ‘The Mousetrap’ after being inspired by William Shakespeare'sfamous play . In it, names the‘play-within-a-play’.

England's most celebrated writer uses the device of a ‘play-within-a-play’ many times but in Agatha Christie's decision to use

for her play, it is possible to see a parallel with its morecommon use in the pest control industry.

Whereas the first is a literary device that Shakespeare names whenHamlet wishes to provoke the murderer, his uncle, and says, ‘theplay's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king’, theother is a physical device that is used as a ploy to catch theattention of the mouse.

Of course, it is not always possible to predict the outcome of using amousetrap to catch the culprit that has gnawed its way through thecereal box. Likewise, the play, , has its own plottwist at the conclusion.

Because of this, theatre goers are asked not to reveal the identity ofthe murderer to those who haven't seen the play so that it isn'truined for future audiences.

Set in the Great Hall of Monkswell Manor, the play revolves aroundeight characters. Husband and wife Giles and Mollie Ralston are

The Mousetrap

The Mousetrap

Three Blind Mice

The

Mousetrap Man

Three Blind Mice

Hamlet Hamlet The Mousetrap

The

Mousetrap

The Mousetrap

Richard Attenborough and Sheila Sim inthe original 1952 production

Lottie Latham as Miss Casewell in the current production

FEATUREMousetrap mystery

January & February 2012 www.pestmagazine.co.uk 23pest

proprietors of the manor and have converted it into a guest house.During the late afternoon on the first day, four invited guests arrive –Christopher Wren, Mrs Boyle, Major Metcalf and Miss Casewell.Later that day, after being snowed in, the guests read about themurder of a woman in London in the newspaper.

Unexpectedly, an additional traveller, a Mr Paravicini, knocks on thedoor, claiming he has been stranded. The scene is set for themurder mystery to unfold.

As the tension grows the last character, Detective Sergeant Trotter,arrives and reveals that the London murderer is on the way to themanor. When Mrs Boyle is murdered, the guests' worst fears areconfirmed – the murderer is already among the party.

Like the trap that is set to catch the murderer in the play, the pestcontrol device has also proved very effective over the years.

Arguably, of all the pestcontrol methods employed inthe industry, the mouse traphas become the mostentrenched in people's minds.

This may be because of thepublic’s curious relationshipwith the mouse.

While no one really wants tosee one scoot across thekitchen floor, or find itsdroppings near food, many ofthe general public do not wishany harm to come to thisfurry pest.

Real traps aremuch olderIf 60 years sounds a lot for The Mousetrap play, that'snothing when you delve into the history of the mousetrap itself.

In his excellent little book calledunremarkably,

, David Drummond reveals thatone of the very first mentions to mouse trapsin Britain refers to their use in the kitchensof the Archbishop of Canterbury in the16th century.

Still on the shelves today is the LittleNipper mouse trap. Most readers willprobably feel they grew-up with thisarchetypal device. Well they did!

In this current world of mergers and multinationals, the Little Nipperremains virtually unchanged over the 115 years since it wasinvented. What's more, the company (Procter Brothers, todaylocated in Bedwas, Gwent) still manufacturer and sell it. Thecompany itself started out life as Procter Brothers (Wireworks) Ltdin Leeds in 1740 where they made a range of wire products.

On the other side of the Atlantic another firm well-known todayfor its range of mouse traps is Kness Mfg. Co. This company tooboasts a proud pedigree and still remains a family business.

The company was founded by Austin Enos 'Brick' Kness in 1924who invented the first multiple catch mouse trap whilst workingas a caretaker at a local school. Brick was something of aninventor and thought-up several inventions before turning hismind to the mice that were invading the lunches of his students.And so was born the first Ketch-All multiple catch mouse trap.

Today Kness sells its range of rodent traps around the world. Butit remains a family business, with Brick's grand-daughter now atthe helm, Kathy Kness Wauson.

British mouse traps and

their makers

Little Nipper virtually unchanged over 115 years

Kness Ketch-All pushing 90 years old

Above: Jeremy Procter, current managing director ofProcter Bros, seen here celebrating the 100th anniversaryof the Little Nipper is a descendant of the foundingbrothers, John and Charles Procter

Below: Brick Kness, who invented the first multiple mousetrap in 1924, with, inset, his grand-daughter Kathy KnessWausonwho runsthecompanytoday