The roar of the greasepaint...

Emily has more news about her role in her class's Christmas play:

Emily: "Daddy, I'm not just playing a rat! Τhe rats perform a sort of miming performance thing and in that I'm going to be the rat mother who dies at the end!"

Me: "That's wonderful, darling; two roles in one! I'm very pleased. And actually, what you're going to be doing is called a 'play-within-a-play', which is a very interesting thing they do in the theatre sometimes, and because you're going to be miming it, it can also be called a dumb-show."

A thought occurs to me.

Me: "One very famous play-within-a-play, which was also a dumb-show, was in Hamlet, by William Shakespeare!"

Another thought occurs to me. I am getting quite excited now.

Me: "And can you guess what it was called? 'The Mousetrap'! Isn't that a coincidence! I wonder if yours will be called 'The Mousetrap' too. Although you're rats, of course, not mice, so maybe it wouldn't work, but..."

I trail off as I realise that Emily doesn't look as excited as she might. Perhaps I have lost her.

Me: "Have you actually heard of Hamlet, darling?"

Emily: [Scornfully] "Of course I have, Dad."

Me: "Oh good, Did you learn about it at school?"

Emily: [Eyes rolling]"No!"

No, of course not. What was I thinking

Me: So...?

Emily: [Getting annoyed, now] I don't know, alright, I just know. [Pause] I think they talk about it in Freaky Friday."