The Mousetrap.

[RWK 0]

You probably know that the Mousetrap by Agatha Christie is known for ‘having the longest initial run of any play in the world’. It originally started life as a short radio play back in 1947.

Anyway, did any of you know that as a stage play, The Mousetrap had its world premiere at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham on 6 October 1952?

Now we have the digital age I’ve taken on the job of scanning all of the families’ photographs and memorabilia in an effort to help preserve these fading images.

Amongst the many packets of photos and the boxes of saved papers we removed from our late mother’s old house a while back was a rather fragile copy of the Theatre Royal program from this 1952 premier.

I’d not seen this for many years and it was a pleasant surprise to find it still intact.

As an usherette working there at the time she got to meet the up and coming young actors during that week. Plenty of ‘class distinction’ back then so I recon she did here fare share of bowing and scraping, though I know there’s a signed photo or two she’s collected knocking about here somewhere!

.

[plantfit 7,597]

Very interesting RWK, are there any names we would recognize, any chance of scanning the cover and putting it on this site and how much did the program cost?

Rog

[RWK 0]

I'll see what I can do for you.

.

[RWK 0]

Now that I've remembered how to use the Photobucket site I can get on with posting phots and the like.

Here's some scans.

.

[Fynger 841]

An X-Ray shoe fitter ?

[Beefsteak 305]

No body famous in it then (Only Richard Attenborough).................LOL

[katyjay 5,091]

Those of us of a certain age, can remember Sheila Sim. [Richard Attenborough's wife]

[Beefsteak 305]

The name rang a bell but I thought I was possibly mixing her up with Sylvia Sims

[Allabarra 1]

I can remember Mrs Redgate of Redgates waters & fruit squashes in the advert. I believe their family owned a few properties about Nottingham, including one on Hyson Green.

[sussexred 25]

Robertson Hare (in Wild Horses) was the Archdeacon in All Gas And Gaiters. Remember that one?

[Beefsteak 305]

Oh brother !!!!!!!!!!!???

[sussexred 25]

I thought you were right for a minute BF, but IMDB confirms The Archdeacon, The Venerable Henry Blunt in "All Gas and Gaiters"

[Beefsteak 305]

I was being sarcastic , sorry , Oh Brother was a spin off from All gas and Gaiters, wasn't it ??

I was a tiddler in those days so I have only a vague recollection of Derek Nimo et al

[Ashley 288]

Not my scene at all, (prefer Lemmy singing Run Rudolph Run!) but best collection I ever saw of signed photos autographs etc belonged to an old boy who lived in Victoria Centre, He was a dresser? at Theatre Royal, virtually every one who ever played there seemed to have photo took with him and signed such

[Limey 242]

The Attenboroughs (David & Richard) also have local history. Their grandfather was Samuel Clegg - the first Headmaster of Long Eaton Grammar School, and for whom the library next to the school is named.

I believe Clegg lived in Sawley, and was led to believe that Richard and David were born in Sawley - in a house on Bradshaw Street. However, I cannot find any information that supports that claim, so it may have been that their mother (Mary Clegg) was born there.

[bamber 128]

A couple of useless facts to enhance your Nottstalgia quotient. Derek Guyler provided the voice of the radio announcer in the very first Mousetrap performance and they continue to use the same recording to this day.

Derek Nimmo specialized in sit-coms with clerical themes. In "All Gas and Gaiters" he played The Rev Timothy Noote. Robertson Hare was the Arch Deacon and had the catch phrase "Oh calamity!". "Oh Brother" was set in a monastery and had a sequel series called "Oh Father".

Here ends the lesson. !clapping!