DEATHTRAP

SYNOPSIS

The story is about a washed up playwright, Sidney Bruhl, who has his successes behind him and then he receives a fantastic play in the mail from an ex-student named Clifford Anderson. Bruhl invites Cliff home and then tries to trick him out of his fantastic script. When that does not work Bruhl turn to murder, but who will get murdered?

TRANSLATION NOTES

This play is full of plot twist that leave audiences dumfounded. In actuality, Cliff and Sidney are lovers who have plotted to kill Sidney's wife, and start a successful co-authorship with this new play. The stage version offers much more excitement than the movie version. Even in reading the play chills run up and down the spine due to Levin's clever scripting. One thing the movie version does offer that the stage version does not is a kiss between two successful screen actors, Reeves and Caine. Deathtrap opened in New York, February 26, 1978 and became the longest running thriller on Broadway when it overtook the record Angel Street (1,295) with 1,809 performances in its 5-year run on Broadway. Deathtrap was nominated for 4 Tony Awards. Revived in 1998 with Elliot Gould and Mariette Hartley.

PRODUCTION NOTES