Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

Review: Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap

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Agatha Christie Mousetrap Review

You have probably already seen The Mousetrap.

If not in a stage setting in London, then on your TV screen or a Movie theater.

In a homage to this incredibly popular stage show, innumerable TV shows and movies have copied its formula verbatim. The shock twist at the end comes not so much as a surprise, but a confirmation of where it all began.

Most people in the audience were there for the thrill of the show. For being able to see the show that is the longest running show in the history of the world. With over 25000 performances (think about that number for second) no other show comes closer.

The story and the setting are so typically Agatha Christie that for a moment you yearn to truly believe that you are not time travelling, but you do actually live in an era when the only way to get news was via the “wireless” and that a telephone wire being “cut” makes sense. The fact that most people in the audience would have paid upwards of $75 for the privilege makes you realize you’re not the only one.

In case, you haven’t seen it, the story should sound familiar.

A newly married couple have bought a new house, and have decided to convert it into a guest house. They call it the Monkswell Manor and they await the arrival of their first few guests. The guests arrive one by one, each one more peculiar than the last. All this against the background of a horrific murder in London, a blinding snowstorm which has cut down communication with the outside world and you have a setting for a perfect late night novel. Except, it is playing out in front of you on stage with some terrific acting by an all Australian cast.

While watching the show, I couldn’t help but think how this compared against the original cast from when the show was first performed in London on 6th Oct, 1952. 60 years on and the show still works. It is perhaps a tribute to the original concept and the brilliance of the “surprise” ending that we still watch the show to eagerly await the identity of the killer even though we all know it.

This production is an effort to take Mousetrap to newer audiences who haven’t had the privilege of seeing it its original setting in London. The stage setting is perfect, the lighting and effects adequate and the acting remarkable considering the all Australian cast (who I suspect don’t naturally have posh British accents of 1950s). All the actors do their job meticulously and supplement each others efforts.

Catch the show while you can before it runs out on the 20th of Jan.

For more information:

Visit Mousetrap

In Brisbane: QPAC

CraftGossip got complimentary tickets to see the show.

 

 

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Learning about Finland for Kids

Finland is a country in Northern Europe bordered by Sweden, Norway and Russia, as well as the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia. Let’s learn more about this Nordic country. 

Finland Basics

Finland is 130,678 square miles, or 338,455 square kilometers, and is home to about 5.7 million people. 

Its capital and largest city is Helsinki. The official languages are Finnish and Swedish.

The area now known as Finland was first settled around 9000 BC, and it was part of Sweden from the late 13th century until 1809, when it became an autonomous grand duchy within the Russian Empire. It declared independence in 1917 and it officially became a republic in 1919. It lost some territory to Russia after World War II but retained its independence.

It was the first country in Europe to grant its citizens universal suffrage, and the first in the world to allow all adult citizens to run for office. It is a Nordic style welfare state with an advanced economy and is often ranked as one of the countries with the happiest people in the world. 

It has a unitary parliamentary government, with a president and prime minister.

The name in Finnish is Suomi, and it’s not clear where the name came from but it seems to have a common original with the Sámi, indigenous people from the Nordic region and Russia. 

Finland National Symbols

The flag of Finland has a white background with a blue Nordic cross (which looks like a Christian cross on its side) in the center. It is said that the blue represents the nation’s thousands of lakes (there are more than 180,000 recorded lakes in the country) as well as the sky.

The national anthem, “Maamme” in Finnish or “Our Land” in English, was originally written for the 500th anniversary of the town of Porvoo and was first performed in 1848. The song is not officially the national anthem but has been commonly used as the anthem since the nation’s independence. Estonia‘s national anthem uses the same tune. 

Finland’s coat of arms is a crowned heraldic lion on a red field, with the right front leg replaced by a human arm holding a sword. He’s also standing on a sabre and surrounded by nine roses. 

The Eurasian brown bear is the national animal, and the Finnhorse is the national horse. Finland’s national insect is the seven-spot ladybird and the national fish is the European perch. 

Lily of the valley is a floral emblem of Finland, and their national dog is the Finnish Spitz. In addition, granite, the silver birch, the Whooper swan and the holly blue butterfly are all considered national symbols. (You can read about several of these here.)

Finland Learning Activities for Kids 

Grab resources for teaching about Finland from Teachers Pay Teachers. Artsy Craftsy Mom also has a printable fact book you can purchase.

Make a tape resist Finnish flag with this idea from taidekoti. Or use watercolors to make the Northern Lights, which can be seen in Finland, with this project from The Pinterested Parent. And learn more about the Aurora Borealis in this video from Little School.

Learn more about the boreal forest/taiga biome, which covers the majority of Finland, with this resource from Let’s Talk Science. Talk about the differences between brown bears and grizzly bears, and pull out horse crafts and learning activities. 

Take a listen to some music performed on the kantele, the national instrument of Finland. 

Check out the Moomins, described as “with and roundish trolls with large snouts,” developed by Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson.

The national food of Finland is rye bread, so give it a try with this recipe from Zingerman’s. (It will still be good even if you don’t have freshly milled rye.)