A murder, a manor, and a mystery

The School of Performing Arts is bringing mystery and suspense to the stage this fall with its production of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap,” the world’s longest-running play. The show opens Nov. 11 in Squires Studio Theatre and runs through Nov. 15.

Set in the 1950s, “The Mousetrap” follows a group of strangers trapped in a snowbound English manor after a murder is committed nearby. As the story unfolds, secrets are revealed and everyone present becomes a suspect.

The production team has worked to bring the atmosphere of the mystery to life, from the elaborate Monkswell Manor that sets the scene to the detailed costumes that evoke mid-20th century England. The production promises to capture the classic intrigue and tension of Christie’s beloved whodunnit. 

The show features a cast of undergraduate students with design and production work from undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty members. The ensemble has embraced Christie’s sharp dialogue and layered characters, balancing suspense with moments of humor.

“It's always exciting to see a group of students come together to take on a big challenge,” said director Amanda J. Nelson, associate professor of theatre. “And for this production, the full cast, including the understudies, are learning accents. They're working very closely with our voice and dialects professor, Natasha Staley.”

Master of Fine Arts student Jeremy Pritchard, the costume designer for the production, discussed the intricacies of recreating 1950s fashion for the stage.

“Through my research, I discovered the year of the play, 1952, is a year or two after rations stopped from World War II, but it’s also the time of one of Dior’s most famous runways in history, so there’s definitely a juxtaposition when the war has ended, and we’re entering an era of the iconic 1950s silhouette. Being able to hone my eye to the authenticity of the timeframe has been an interesting and exciting challenge.” 

Sound designer and undergraduate student Cole Clark has been finding ways to heighten the audience’s sense of suspense.

“Working on ‘The Mousetrap’ has been a fun creative challenge,” Clark said. “It's been most important to me to find the balance between this play's quick humor and haunting mystery. I am excited for audiences to see the world we have created — this show has such an engaging atmosphere.”

The prolific mystery author took great pride in keeping the endings to her stories a secret so audiences could continue to be surprised and shocked by the endings. The cast, crew, and production team ask audience members and Christie fans to keep the ending a secret so all audiences can experience the surprise that the mystery of Monkswell Manor has to offer.

Performances are Nov. 11-14 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Squires Studio Theatre.

Tickets are $15 for the general public and $12 for seniors and students and may be purchased through the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech ticket office in person, online, or by calling 540-231-5300. All seating is general admission. Tickets will be available at the door in the Squires Student Center beginning one hour prior to the performance.

All university community members and visitors will need to display a parking permit, use the ParkMobile app, pay a fee, or pay using an hourly meter to park on the Blacksburg campus, unless otherwise noted by signage. Find additional parking information online.

If you are an individual with a disability and/or desire an accommodation, please contact Susan Sanders at least 10 days prior to the event.

Next on the Squires Studio Theatre stage is "The Gingham Dog" by Lanford Wilson, directed by Brittney Harris, running Feb. 24-28, 2026.

Written by Kendall Seibel, a graduate student in arts leadership