Craig Strobel plays Sgt. Trotter in “The Mousetrap,” presented this weekend by the MidValley Theatre Company in Enterprise.

ENTERPRISE — “The Mousetrap” will open the MidValley Theatre Company’s upcoming season.

It opens Friday, Oct. 27 and continues Saturday, Oct. 28 and Sunday, Oct. 29. Final performances are Nov. 3-5.

Friday and Saturday performances start at 7 p.m. and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. The play is staged at the Odd Fellows Hall in Enterprise, 105 NE First St. Tickets are $15 and are available online at fishtrap.org or at the door. The play runs approximately two hours with an intermission.

Agatha Christie’s murder mystery, “The Mousetrap,” is about seven strangers who find themselves snowed in at a remote country estate house. As news of a murder in London spreads, and a police sergeant shows up, everyone is forced to reveal his or her sordid past. Christie’s play first opened in London’s West End in 1952 and continued until 2020 when it closed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It later reopened in May of 2021.

Director Justin Burns said the play was chosen after some brainstorming. This is his first time directing and he wanted a play with a simple set.

“I wanted to stick to a simple set — not get too complicated,” he said. “I’d seen the play in Lincoln City and really liked it. I think this is a high-quality play. It’s fun.”

The play has a unique plot twist and afterward, the audience is sworn to secrecy about the ending.

“It’s important the play be a surprise to everyone who sees it,” Burns said.

He said he “really loves acting,” and he is “hoping this (seeing him direct) will stir some energy in members (of the Midvalley Theatre Company),” inspiring others who may want to direct.

Burns said the cast is working hard.

“They’re amazing. They’ve come into character quite well,” he said. “They’re just excellent.”

He also gives credit to Fishtrap for providing rehearsal space and assistance with ticket sales.

The next play the Midvalley Theatre Company will stage is “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” in December.

Some interesting facts about the play include:

The Mousetrap is the longest-running show of any kind in the world.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II attended the 50th anniversary performance on Nov. 25, 2002.

The 28,000th performance in the West End took place on Oct. 12, 2019.

The show has been performed in 27 languages in more than 50 countries.

Every performance of “The Mousetrap” sets a new world record for the number of performances, and after each performance, the audience is asked “to preserve the tradition of ‘The Mousetrap’ by keeping the secret locked in their hearts.”

Every performance of “The Mousetrap” sets a new world record for the number of performances, and after each performance the audience is asked “to preserve the tradition of ‘The Mousetrap’ by keeping the secret locked in their hearts.”