Deathtrap: ‘A Thriller in Two Acts’

Once-revered playwright Sidney Bruhl has a string of recent flops to his credit, when he’s sent an instant-hit of a new play written by a novice former writing student. Is Sidney desperate enough to kill to claim the unknown work as his own? Envy, ambition, betrayal, and hidden agendas intertwine in this clever and intricately plotted comedic thriller. Laugh-out-loud dialogue and a series of gasp-inducing plot twists have kept audiences—and readers—on the edge of their seats for nearly fifty years.

The fifth longest-running play in Broadway history, Deathtrap’s hybrid comedy-thriller format was a new animal when introduced by Levin in 1978. Adapted into the hit film starring Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve, Edgar Award–winning Deathtrap remains one of the most frequently-produced plays, and was one of the inspirations for the 2019 film Knives Out.