Script | Deathtrap

Sidney’s attorney who plays a key role in the final twists. Review: 'Deathtrap,' timed for thrills - WHYY

The " Deathtrap" script is a legendary thriller written by Ira Levin in 1978, known for being a "perfectly constructed masterpiece" of suspense and meta-humor. It follows Sidney Bruhl, a once-successful playwright facing a dry spell, who receives a brilliant new thriller script from a student and begins to hatch a murderous plan to claim the work as his own. Post Idea: The "Deathtrap" Plot Breakdown

Just when you think you’ve figured out the "murderous collaboration," the script pulls the rug out from under you. As critics often note, "nothing is as it seems". deathtrap script

Often cited as a masterclass in the thriller genre, Deathtrap isn’t just a play—it’s a "show-within-a-show" packed with meta-references to the craft of playwriting itself.

🎭🔪

The "naïve" student writer who may be just as calculating as his mentor.

A sophisticated, dryly bitter writer of Broadway thrillers. Sidney’s attorney who plays a key role in the final twists

If you are preparing for auditions or a table read, keep these archetypes in mind: