This year’s first performance from Ecole St. Mary High School’s Upstage Productions is the world’s longest running play.
“The Mousetrap” by Agatha Christie had its world premiere on Oct. 6, 1953 at the Royal Theatre in Nottingham, England. Since then, it has had more than 28,000 performances, and Upstage Productions will add to that total starting Wednesday, Nov. 20.
The play begins with a married couple who operate Monkswell Manor. The husband, Giles Ralston, is played by Grade 12 student Lukas Tamayo and the wife, Mollie Ralston, is played by Grade 11 student Leigha Dunn.
Dunn is a veteran of the stage but this is her first prominent role at St. Mary. She was also in Puffs and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Tamayo was one of the leads in Puffs and was also in Joseph.
Both Dunn and Tamayo agreed that the production has run smoothly.
“It’s been good,” Dunn said. “It’s been a lot of fun with all the people.”
This production also marks a return to the Lecture Theatre. Upstage Productions performed Puffs at the EA Rawlinson Centre while the Lecture Theatre was reconstructed after flood damage.
“It’s been a while since I’ve done one in the lecture theatre,” Tamayo said. “I miss it. It’s so nice. It’s tight.
“It feels more like our stage than the Rawlinson does because this stage, we do all the rehearsals in here. Everybody’s in here, but we’re all a bit closer because it’s a smaller space, and to me, it just feels like our stage.”
“We did, Joseph and Puffs in the Rawlinson and then this is my first one here,” Dunn added. “It’s different, coming back to school after a long school day, that’s for sure, but it’s fun.”
The play focuses on the guests and staff of Monkswell Manor after a local woman is murdered. Everyone fins themselves stranded during a snow storm, and it soon becomes clear that the killer is among them.
“We are hosting the Monkswell Manor guest house and then stuff happens that’s a good way to explain our show,” Tamayo said.
“Things occur,” Dunn said.
To be in a play of such significance is not lost on Tamayo or Dunn.
“It feels like an honour because it’s been there for so long that you’re like,’ oh, my goodness,” (when) you finally get the chance. It’s such a well-known show,” Dunn said.
“It’s a play that has been running forever,” Tamayo added.
“It’s like, you have got to get it right, too. There’s a bar set already (and) you got to get over it.”
Tamayo and Dunn both said it will be up to the audience to determine if Upstage Productions clears that bar.
Both actors had great things to say about director Jason Van Otterloo.
“He’s pretty cool,” Dunn said.
“The Van runs a tight ship,” Tamayo said.
The stage manager for “The Mousetrap” is Ellie Buckley who is in Grade 11. Buckley said she’s learned a lot from the role.
“It’s wonderful. We get to learn how to build new things. I learned how to put on trim. It’s a pretty heavy set, so it’s a lot of hard working. You get to have a nice social group with other people that you don’t really know,” Buckley said.
This is Buckley’s first time as stage manager but she worked on the Tech Crew for four shows before taking the helm with this production.
She said that experience helped her understand how to be a stage manager.
“It helps me visualize what’s going on down there from up here,” she said.
Both Dunn and Tamayo encourage people to come to see the show and solve the mystery.
“It’s a great show. I mean you come watch it, you find out who done it and you’re part of something bigger than yourself,” Tamayo said.
“You really get to experience how Monkswell Manners is portrayed and how everyone reacts in there with their different personality traits, and our colourful cast of characters,” Dunn said. “Watch more than one (character). See if you can figure it out before we do.”
The cast is made up of eight individuals so there are several people to choose from.
“It could be anybody,” Dunn said.
Both Dunn and Tamayo like the size of the cast with eight people
“It’s nice because I actually learned everybody’s name,” Tamayo said.
Showtimes at the Lecture Theatre are at 7:30 p.m. are Wednesday, Nov. 20 to Saturday, Nov. 23. Tickets cost $12 for Adults and $8 for Students (18 years and younger) and are available at the main office or at the door.
“Come to the show, it’s wonderful,” Buckley said.
