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Visit the Mousetrap West End website

Mon 11 - Sat 16 Mar 2024

Sat 16 Mar 2024

Mon 18 - Sat 23 Mar 2024

Sat 23 Mar 2024

Mon 25 - Sat 30 Mar 2024

Sat 30 Mar 2024

Tue 2 - Sat 6 Apr 2024

Sat 6 Apr 2024

Mon 8 - Sat 13 Apr 2024

Sat 13 Apr 2024

Mon 15 - Sat 20 Apr 2024

Sat 20 Apr 2024

Mon 29 Apr - Sat 4 May 2024

Mon 29 Apr -

Sat 4 May 2024

Tue 7 - Sat 18 May 2024

Sat 18 May 2024

27 May - 1 Jun 2024

Mon 3 - Sat 8 Jun 2024

Sat 8 Jun 2024

Mon 10 - Sat 15 Jun 2024

Sat 15 Jun 2024

Mon 24 - Sat 29 Jun 2024

Sat 29 Jun 2024

Mon 1 - Sat 6 Jul 2024

Sat 6 Jul 2024

Mon 8 - Sat 13 Jul 2024

Sat 13 Jul 2024

Tue 16 - Sat 20 Jul 2024

Sat 20 Jul 2024

Tue 23 - Sat 27 Jul 2024

Sat 27 Jul 2024

Mon 29 Jul - Sat 3 Aug 2024

Mon 29 Jul -

Sat 3 Aug 2024

The Mousetrap is the genre-defining murder mystery from Agatha Christie, the world’s best-selling novelist of all time. As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at Monkswell Manor, a remote countryside guesthouse. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst. One by one, the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts. Which one is the murderer? Who will be their next victim?

The 70th anniversary tour opened at the Theatre Royal Nottingham, where it held its original world premiere in 1952. The iconic thriller is now visiting over 70 venues across the country, including all cities to which it originally played 70 years ago, plus many more.

This 70th Anniversary tour marks the first of many ways that The Mousetrap will be celebrating its extraordinary milestone year.

The touring cast includes Todd Carty (EastEnders, Grange Hill, Dancing on Ice) as Major Metcalf and Catherine Shipton (Casualty) as Mrs Boyle. In the truly ensemble piece where everyone is a suspect Rachel Dawson (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, A Christmas Carol) will appear as Mollie Ralston, Michael Lyle (Amadeus & A Christmas Carol) as Giles Ralston, Shaun McCourt (Blood Brothers UK Tour, War Horse) as Christopher Wren, Leigh Lothian (Chariots of Fire) as Miss Casewell, Steven Elliott (The Crown, Holby City) as Mr Paravicini and Garyn Williams (The Corn Is Green) as Detective Sgt. Trotter. This casting is for 2023 venues.

The 70th Anniversary tour of The Mousetrap continues to visit towns and cities around the country with upcoming theatres including Aberdeen, Blackpool, Hereford, Chelmsford, Dundee, Derby, Bristol, Leeds, Cambridge, Torquay, Buxton, Swansea, Northampton, Truro, Peterborough, King’s Lynn, Guildford, New Brighton, Bromley, and Hastings, continuing throughout 2023 with further venues into 2024 to be announced in due course.

Following its 1952 premiere touring production, The Mousetrap opened in the West End where still to this day, it continues its record-breaking engagement at the St Martin’s Theatre having been performed there over 29,000 times, selling over 10 million tickets.

Cast and Creative

Neerja Naik

Training: Cambridge University and Drama Centre London.

Theatre credits include:  Twelfth Night (Sixteenfeet Productions), The Captive Queen  (Shakespeare’s Globe),  A Midsummer Night’s Dream  (New Wolsey Theatre),  Untouchable  (RADA Festival),  The Prisoner Workshops  (National Theatre Studio),  When Annie Met Gandhi Rehearsed Reading  (The Bloomsbury Festival),  There Or Here Rehearsed Reading  (Special Relationship Productions).

Television credits include:  Doctors (BBC),  Casualty  (BBC).

Film credits include:  Stromboli (Levitate Films),  Await Further Instructions  (Shudder Films),  Sold  (Jaya International),  Hackney’s Finest  (Rickety Shack Films),  Life Goes On  (SD Films),  Olivia Twist  (Falcon Features),  The Great European Disaster Movie  (Springshot/BBC),  Professional Woman  of the Year (Don Boyd),  Mastermind  (Dictynna Hood),  Planet X  (Rohit Gill). Radio credits include:  The Merchant of Venice  (BBC).

Barnaby Jago

Training: Arts Ed

Film & Television Credits include: Shakuntala Devi Human Computer (Sony), The Beast of Blue Yonder

Other credits include: Barnaby has narrated numerous audiobooks and audio dramas including The Iron Chariot by Stein Riverton Albie in Doctor Who Albie’s Angels.

Shaun McCourt

Training: Guildford school of Acting.

Theatre credits include:  The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe  (Gillian Lynne Theatre and UK Tour);  The Windsors: Endgame  (Prince of Wales Theatre);  Blood Brothers  (UK Tour);  War Horse  (New LondonTheatre);  The Railway Children  (Kings Cross Theatre);  Imagine This  (Union Theatre);  Iolanthe  (Wilton’sMusic Hall);  The Pirates of Penzance  (Kilworth House);  Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat  (UKTour); and  Bernstein’s Mass  (Royal Festival Hall).

Workshops include: The Grinning Man  (NTStudios);  I Capture the Castle  (NT Studios);  The Attic  (Theatre Royal Haymarket).

Gwyneth Strong

Gwyneth began her acting career at 10 years old playing Sally in Live like Pigs at the Royal Court in London.

Theatre credits include: Gwyneth has appeared in many theatre productions. Most recently Ladies of Letters (UK Tour) The Mousetrap (UK Tour); Stand (Oxford Playhouse / Battersea Arts Centre); Monkey Bars (Unicorn / Edinburgh Festival); A Round-Heeled Woman (Aldwych); Von Ribbentrop’s Watch (Oxford Playhouse / Tour); Our House (Birmingham Rep / UK Tour); When You Cure Me (Bush); Take a Chance on Me (New End); Ancient Lights (Hampstead); Three Sisters (Out of Joint/Lyric Hammersmith)

Television credits include: Cassandra (as series regular and Christmas specials) Only Fools and Horses; EastEnders; The Great Train Robbery – A Copper’s Tale ; Midsomer Murders ; New Tricks ; Harry Enfield ‘Brand Spanking New Show’ ; Real Women ; An Unsuitable Job for a Woman; The Missing Postman ; Nice Town ; Clothes in the Wardrobe; King of the Ghetto ; Rainy Day Women.

Film credits include: Suzie Gold ; In Love with Alma Cogan; Crimetime; Cry Freedom; Bloody Kids.

Gwyneth is a Patron of the charity Ovarian Cancer Action

Todd began his career at the age of four. He made his stage debut at the New London Theatre, where he played the leading role in the musical based on Lionel Bart’s life. As Tucker in the BBC’s  Grange Hill , Todd became an overnight success leading to his own series  Tucker’s Luck . He is also known for his roles of Mark Fowler in  EastEnders  (BBC) and of PC Gabriel Kent in  The Bill  (Talkback/Thames). 

Theatre credits include: Patsy in  Spamalot  (West End and UK Tour) and Detective Inspector Hallett in  The Business of Murder  (UK Tour). Film and Television credits include: Oswyn in  Krull  (Columbia Pictures); Angus in  Professor Poppers   Problems  (CFF Films); Randy Candy in  The Candy Show  (Beaconsfield Films); Mike in  Birches  (True Films); Dan in  The Drive  (Ninja Penguin Productions); As himself in  A Touch of Cloth  (SKY TV); Ray Hallam in  Heartbeat  (ITV); Cameron Cooke in  Holby City  (BBC); Pentecost in  The Black Velvet Band  (Yorkshire TV). Todd was also the subject of  This Is Your Life  (BBC) in 2000.

Other credits include:  Dancing On Ice  (ITV);  Masterchef  (BBC);  Mastermind  (BBC);  Dangerous Adventures For Boys  (C5 which he won with his eldest son James);C elebrity Driving Academy  (BBC with his youngest sonThomas). Directed feature film  The Perfect Burger  (BYFA) and several episodes of  Doctors  (BBC).

Todd has provided narration for numerous televisionprogrammes including  Paddington Green  (BBC),  Driving Mum Crazy  (Meridian TV) and  Scene in New York  (BBC).

Training: Arts Educational Schools, London.

Theatre credits include: Shakespeare Nation (RSC), Bab’s Big Show (Museum of Comedy), Comedy Swingers (Vault Festival), Come On (Arcola Theatre), A Guide to Second Date Sex (Bread and Roses Theatre) and Scarlett Lane Edinburgh Fringe).

Television credits include: Laugh Lessons (BBC 3), Lala’s Ladiez (ZeeTV & Endemol Shine). 

Film credits include: Mark (MOWL), Peeler, Lifeguards (Burning Reel), BaiL (Franklyn Lane Films), Sticky (Vitamin Films).

Other credits: BBC New Comedy Awards (BBC Radio 4), Tits Up (web-series).

Amy is part of the sketch duo BAB who won the Funny Women comedy short Award 2023, presented by Jo Brand and were semi-finalists of Leicester Square Theatre’s Sketch Off! 2022. 

Follow their work @babdocomedy

Steven Elliot

Training: Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. 

Theatre credits include: Frankenstein (Danny Boyle, National Theatre); The Winter’s Tale (Nicholas Hytner, National Theatre); The Ladykillers (UK tour); Dancing at Lughnasa (Abbey Theatre, Dublin);

Productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company include: Twelfth Night, Henry V, Measure for Measure, Julius Caesar, Titus Andronicus, The Revenger’s Tragedy, The Jew of Malta, The Bite of the Night, A Christmas Carol, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Pentecost .

Productions with Theatre Clywd include: Macbeth, Arcadia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Noises Off, The Suicide, Two Princes, Troilus and Cressida, Measure for Measure, A Chorus of Disapproval, Jumpy, and Cyrano de Bergerac.

Television credits include: The Crown ; Holby City ; Da Vinci’s Demons ; Judge John Deed; Mike Bassett – Manager; Inspector Morse; Ghostboat; Dal y Melt; Porthpenwaig; Tess of the D’Urbevilles; Crash; Tunnel of Love; War Gamers .

Film credits include: Warchief ; Roald and Beatrix ; Y Swyn; Cold Earth; Time Bandits; Hamlet; Les Miserables; Rise of the Appliances; The Watcher in the Woods; King Lear, True West and Frankenstein (NT Live). 

Steven is an Associate Learning Practitioner for the RSC and Associate Artist at Theatre Clwyd.

Michael Ayiotis

Theatre credits include: Salty in John Godber’s Teechers ’23 (UK Tour), Arthur in The Sun, The Mountain and Me (Union Theatre), Pickle in Sleeping Beauty , Silly Billy in Jack and the Beanstalk , Buttons in Cinderella , Abanazar in Aladdin and Dick Whittington in Dick Whittington (all at South Hill Park Arts Centre), Achilles in Wrath of Achilles (Bedivere Arts), Market Boy (Union Theatre), Timms in The History Boys (London Contemporary Theatre) .

Television and Film credits include : Breaking the Band: Black Sabbath (ITV), Raymond’s Five (Short), Grass Roots (Short) and The Pains of Youth (Short).

Other credits include: EE Mobile (Television).

Jack George

Training: Fourth Monkey Actor Training Company

Theatre credits include: The Art of Saying Goodbye (VAULT Festival), Titus Andronicus (Fourth Monkey), Days of Significance (Fourth Monkey), Appropriate (Fourth Monkey).

Other credits include: Exploited II (Pukka Films).

Jonathan Mathews

Training: The Oxford School of Drama.

Theatre Credits include: White Fang (Park Theatre), Alice's Adventures Underground (Les Enfants Terribles), The Bunker Trilogy (Jethro Compton Productions), Much Ado About Nothing (New Wimbledon Theatre) and Fawlty Towers the Dining Experience (ITI).

Matthew Newton

Training: London College of Music and The Salon: Collective.

Theatre Credits include: The Brothers Karamazov  as Alyosha (King’s Head Theatre) and Thomas Becket in T.S. Eliot’s verse drama, Murder in the Cathedral .

Television credits include: London Class  (MBC).

Matthew is also a conductor and choir master, and as well as the piano and organ, he plays the viola with a number of orchestras around London.

Training: Mountview Theatre School (Postgraduate Diploma Acting); Cardiff University (PG Diploma - Theatre Studies).

Theatre credits include: The Mousetrap (UK Tour); Switzerland (Ambassadors Theatre, West End); Lear (Valley of the Rocks, Exmoor); The Importance of Being Earnest (UK Tour); Deathtrap (UK Tour); A Room With a View (Bath Theatre Royal); And Then There Were None (UK Tour); La Bohème (Royal Albert Hall); Birds of a Feather (UK Tour); Duet for One (UK Tour); L ess Than Kind (UK Tour); S easons Greetings (UK Tour); H ouse of Ghosts (UK Tour); W omen on the Verge of HRT (UK Tour); P rivate Lives (UK Tour); T he Clean House (UK Tour); B edroom Farce (UK Tour); S trangers on a Train (UK Tour); M arrying the Mistress (UK Tour); Arsenic & Old Lace (UK Tour); T he Shell Seekers (UK Tour); M y Boy Jack (Yvonne Arnaud & UK Tour) and Corpse! (UK Tour).

Hollie Sullivan

Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts

Theatre credits include:  Barefoot in the Park (Vienna’s English Theatre) ; Private Lives (Vienna’s English Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Vienna’s English Theatre); Barefoot in the Park (The Mill at Sonning); Sam Wanamaker Festival 2016 (Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre); Julius Caesar (Shakespeare Festival-Neuss).

Film and Television credits include:  Waking The Dead (BBC); A Second Son (Amazon Prime Video).

Other credits include: Doctor Who – The Middle (Big Finish Productions); The Surveyor (Web series).

Creative Team

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (born Miller; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer. In 1971 she was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her contribution to literature.

Christie was born into a wealthy upper-middle-class family in Torquay, Devon. Before marrying and starting a family in London, she had served in a Devon hospital during the First World War, tending to troops coming back from the trenches. She was initially an unsuccessful writer with six rejections, but this changed when The Mysterious Affair at Styles, featuring Hercule Poirot, was published in 1920. During the Second World War, she worked as a pharmacy assistant at University College Hospital, London, acquiring a good knowledge of poisons which feature in many of her novels.

Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling novelist of all time. Her novels have sold roughly 2 billion copies, and her her works come third in the rankings of the world’s most-widely published books, behind only Shakespeare’s works and the Bible. The Mousetrap holds the world record for longest initial run. It opened at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End on 25 November 1952, and is still running after more than 27,500 performances.

IAN TALBOT O.B.E

Ian was Artistic and Managing Director of The Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park from 1987 until 2007. For Regent’s Park he directed  Babes In Arms ;  The Fantasticks ;  Lady Be Good ;  The Card ;  Kiss Me, Kate ;  A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To  The Forum ;  Oh, What A Lovely War ;  H.M.S. Pinafore (all nominated for Olivier Awards);  The Pirates Of Penzance  (Olivier nomination for best director 2000);  Much  Ado About Nothing ;  Androcles and the  Lion ;  Look Here Old Son ;  The Two  Gentlemen Of Verona ;  Twelfth Night ;  A  Midsummer Night’s Dream ;  A Connecticut  Yankee ;  The Comedy Of Errors ;  Paint Your  Wagon ;  Gentlemen Prefer Blondes ;  The  Music Man ;  Where’s Charley? ;  Camelot  and  The Boyfriend .

His other directing credits include: The Secret Garden (Watermill Theatre; Newbury);  Yeoman Of The Guard  (Savoy Theatre);  Peter Pan  (Royal Festival Hall);  High Society  (Shaftesbury Theatre and national tour);  The Pirates Of Penzance  (West Yorkshire Playhouse and national tour);  Anything Goes  (national tour);  Kiss Me; Kate  (Brisbane Festival);  Lend Me A Tenor The Musical  (Gielgud Theatre);  Doctor In The House  (national tour);  The Invisible Man  and  Charlie’s Aunt  (The Menier Chocolate Factory);  Love Letters  (Dubai Festival);  Third Finger Left Hand  (Trafalgar Studios);  A Midsummer Night’s Dream  (The Old Globe; San Diego);  Million Dollar Quartet  (national tour);  Eugenius  (The Other Palace);  The Mousetrap  (St. Martins Theatre);  Priscilla Queen of the Desert  (national tour);  White Christmas  (national tour) and many overseas tours and pantomimes.

DENISE SILVEY

Denise trained at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and began her career as an actress and singer working in the West End, film, television, and radio. She began her relationship with  The Mousetrap  by playing Miss Casewell in 1994 and then again in 2001. She became Production Supervisor for the show in 2009 and then Artistic Director in 2018. She has cast every West End production since 2009, tours since 2015 and has cast and directed productions in China, the Far East and India.

Other production and casting credits include : Cinderella  and  Jack and the Beanstalk  (feature films),  Bloody Difficult Women  (Riverside Studios),  The Pargetter Triptych  (podcast),  Musik  (Edinburgh and West End),  The Dame  (Park Theatre and National Tour),  Dead Sheep  (Park Theatre and National Tour),  An Audience with Jimmy Saville  (Park Theatre and Edinburgh),  The Roundabout  (Park Theatre and New York),  Twitstorm, Deny Deny Deny  and  Twilight Song  (Park Theatre),  Alex Salmond Unleashed  (Edinburgh and National Tour),  Once Seen on Blue Peter  (Edinburgh Festival),  All or Nothing  (Arts and Ambassadors Theatre),  Don’t Call Me Nigel  (National Tour),  The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber  (National Tour),  The Watcher  (Waterloo East Theatre),  The Translucent Frogs of Quuup  (Edinburgh Festival, Ambassadors Theatre, Kings Head),  Burton ,  Clown in the Moon,   Wilde Without the Boy  (Edinburgh and St James’s Theatre),  The Man Called Monkhouse  (National Tour),  Starting Here, Starting Now  (Jermyn Street Theatre).

She is also a recipient of both Stage One Bursary and Start Up Fund for producers and is a member of UK Theatre and the League of Independent Producers.

ADAM SPIEGEL

Over the past 25 years, Adam Spiegel has produced extensively in London’s West End as well as various tours throughout the UK and internationally. Most recently Adam has taken over as producer of the world’s longest running show  The Mousetrap  (St Martin’s Theatre), upholding its prestigious legacy within the West End.

West End credits include:  Motown The Musical  (Shaftesbury Theatre);  The Last Tango  (Phoenix Theatre);  Hairspray  (Shaftesbury Theatre);  Fame  (Aldwych Theatre and Shaftesbury Theatre);  Sister Act  (London Palladium);  Saturday Night Fever  (Apollo Victoria);  High School   Musical – Live on Stage!  (Hammersmith Apollo);  Midnight Tango  (Aldwych Theatre, Phoenix Theatre);  Dance ‘Til Dawn  (Aldwych Theatre);  Love Story  (Duchess Theatre);  Crazy for You  (Novello Theatre);  The Mysteries  (Queen’s Theatre) and  Birdy  (Comedy Theatre).

UK touring credits include: Motown the Musical (2018);  Fat Friends the Musical  (2017);  Tango Moderno (2017); Shirley Valentine  (2017);  The Mousetrap  60th anniversary tour (2012–2016);  To Kill a Mockingbird  (2014 and 2015);  Love Me Tender  (2015) The Producers  (2015);  Fame ;  Saturday Night Fever ;  The Last Tango  (2015-2016);  Dance ‘Til Dawn  (2014 and 2015);  Midnight Tango  (2011, 2012 and 2013);  Strictly Come   Dancing Live ;  High School Musical – Live on Stage!; High School   Musical 2 ; the Creole Choir of Cuba;  The Mysteries ;  Lady Salsa  and  Five Guys Named   Moe .

International touring credits include:  Saturday   Night Fever  (Australasian and Scandinavian tours);  Fame  (Scandinavian and US tours) and the Creole Choir of Cuba (worldwide).

Other theatre credits include:  To Kill a Mockingbird  (Barbican Theatre);  Amadeus  (Wilton’s Music Hall, London);  Lady Salsa  (Pleasance Theatre) and  Promises, Promises  (Sheffield Theatres).

Adam produced the annual Laurence Olivier Awards for the Society of London Theatre for five years running from 2004 to 2008. Adam has also previously acted as an arts consultant for both  The Sunday Times  and Tate Britain. Adam now sits on the board of SOLT and the League of Independent Producers.

SIR STEPHEN WALEY-COHEN

Sir Stephen has been a theatre owner and manager since 1984 when he was Joint Chief Executive of Maybox Group which acquired and managed the Albery, Criterion, Donmar Warehouse, Piccadilly, Whitehall and Wyndham’s Theatre, as well as developing the first British owned multiplex cinemas. Maybox was sold in 1989, in which year he became Director of the Victoria Palace Theatre but sold it to Cameron Mackintosh in 2014. Sir Stephen became the Producer of  The Mousetrap  in 1994. Since then he has also taken on the management of the St Martin’s Theatre as well as the Vaudeville from 1995 – 2002 and the Savoy from 1997 – 2005. In April 2007 Sir Stephen purchased the Ambassadors Theatre, the sister theatre to the St.Martin’s and the original home of  The Mousetrap  for the first 21 years of its run. Before entering the theatre business Sir Stephen was a financial journalist and a founder director of Euromoney Publications. Sir Stephen was President of the Society of London Theatre from 2002 to 2005; and he was a Trustee of The Theatres Trust 1998 – 2004. In 2007 Sir Stephen became Chairman of RADA, The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

He founded Mousetrap Theatre Projects in 1996 which each year takes thousands of young people, who would not otherwise have the opportunity, to the best of West End Theatre, and is the industry’s leading education charity.

SIR PETER SAUNDERS

Peter Saunders’ first job was as a very junior assistant cameraman. He graduated to cameraman and film director. He then produced his own films and lost all his money. He worked as a reporter on the Daily Express for four years; then as press agent to bandleader Harry Roy. He joined the army when war broke out, rising from private to captain. He jumped in at the deep end and put on his first play in 1947. He then produced more than 150 shows all over the world including the world record breaking  The Mousetrap . In 1981 he was knighted for his services to the theatre. In April 1994 he transferred the management of  The Mousetrap  to Mousetrap Productions run by Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen. Sir Peter’s hobbies included chess, photography, the music of George Gershwin, telephoning, and collecting wills. He was married to Katie Boyle.

2023 TOUR CAST

The Mousetrap 70th Anniversary Tour

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The mousetrap.

Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap is the world's longest running stage production having began its run in the West End in 1952. A group of people…

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Agatha Christie’s THE MOUSETRAP is the world’s most successful and longest-running play. Since opening in London’s West End in 1952, this classic murder mystery has had millions of theatregoers on the edge of their seats.

In 2022, THE MOUSETRAP will celebrate an astonishing 70 YEARS onstage. To mark the occasion, we are inviting the world’s most esteemed theatres and producers to join us in an epic global event.

We will be licensing 70 productions of THE MOUSETRAP in countries across the globe, in as many languages as possible, as part of our 70th Anniversary Season.

the London production has provided an exceptional benchmark for the universal magic of well-crafted live theatre. We now invite you to be part of this amazing legacy by presenting your own production of THE MOUSETRAP, envisioned and brought to life by the extraordinary local artists who light up your stages.

Agatha Christie is the world’s best-selling novelist of all time, with an estimated 2 billion books sold. Besides having written the world’s longest-running play, she is also the only female playwright to have ever had three plays running simultaneously in London’s West End. Her books and plays have been adapted into countless TV series and award-winning films including Death on the Nile, which returns later this year in a remake starring Kenneth Branagh and Annette Bening.

And yet over the years, THE MOUSETRAP has become more than just a play. It has evolved into a can’t-miss destination for visitors from every corner of the globe, a joyful rite of passage for theatregoers of all kinds, and an enduring family tradition shared across generations.

Perhaps the reason THE MOUSETRAP appeals to a wide range of audiences and age groups lies in its clever dramatic formula. The iconic set-up, which has inspired countless other murder mysteries, puts audience members in the position of not just passive observers, but active participants.

Nothing’s quite as fun as playing detective from your seat, knowing every colourful character is a suspect, and trying to piece it all together yourself in real time. It’s deceptively simple… and simply genius!

our 70th Anniversary Season, you’ll not only be celebrating THE MOUSETRAP’s incredible journey — you’ll be taking your place in theatre history. And in doing so, you’ll become an integral part of the global theatre community’s bright, connected future. 

with any questions or to discuss licensing please contact your local agent in your territory

On behalf of the entire team, thank you for reading, and we look forward to welcoming you to the wonderful world of Agatha Christie’s masterpiece, 
THE MOUSETRAP.

Adam Spiegel, Producer

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The Mousetrap Belfast: We saw the world's longest-running play at the Grand Opera House

The murder mystery from Agatha Christie is celebrating its 70th anniversary

• 20:38, 29 FEB 2024

When I heard that the world's most famous murder mystery was heading to Belfast, I knew I had to check it out.

The Mousetrap is marking its 70th anniversary and is the world's longest-running play, having been performed over 28,000 times. The production is pure Agatha Christie gold and fans of the iconic crime writer won't be disappointed in this run of shows - even if they've seen the play before.

The play has been viewed by millions of people across the globe over the years, and still has the ability to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Read more: We tried the 'Best Chinese in Belfast' and it's safe to say we will be back

Read more: We went to the Niall Horan The Show tour opening night and what a show it was

In classic Christie style, the play centres around a group of strangers who meet in a country guest house where, cut off by a blizzard and broken phone line, they discover a murderer is on the loose.

As the characters reveal their stories, suspense and suspicions grow at Monkswell Manor just as a grisly murder is committed in their midst.

Tension rises towards the first act and throughout the second as to who the murderer is, with Detective Sergeant Trotter (Michael Ayiotis) tasked with uncovering the truth, and figuring out any potential personal connections those at the guest house may have to the crime.

I hadn't seen The Mousetrap before its opening night performance at the Grand Opera House in Belfast this week, but knew there was a famous 'who dunnit' at the heart of the story. While watching the play, you begin to feel any of the guests could have been the murderer, with a good case for each developing.

As is traditional, at the end of the play the actors request the audience doesn't leave the theatre and reveal who did the crime, allowing the element of mystery to continue for theatre goers to come. But lets just say, throughout the play there are some brilliant character performances.

There are some well-known faces amongst the cast, too. The role of retired army general, Major Metcalf, is played by Todd Carty (EastEnders, Grange Hill) while the grumpy Mrs Boyle is played by Gwyneth Strong (known for playing Cassandra in Only Fools and Horses).

While all the actors involved put on a great performance, my personal favourites had to be Shaun McCourt as flamboyantly funny young architect Christopher Wren and Steven Elliott as the suspicious man who arrives to the guest house out of the blue during the blizzard.

The production, a recreation of the show that has run in London's West End for decades, has witty moments but is a dark tale at its heart. If you're a fan of murder mysteries, you don't want to miss this.

The Mousetrap is showing at the Grand Opera House in Belfast until Saturday, March 2. For more information, click here.

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The Mousetrap 70th anniversary tour: Review

One of the sleeper hits of recent years, Rian Johnson’s Knives Out grossed $312.9 million – off a modest budget of $40 million – and has been popular enough to spawn a sequel, the newly released Glass Onion. Proof, if it were needed, that the murder mystery genre is as popular as ever.

See How They Run, a backstage murder-comedy, revolving around an attempt to film The Mousetrap, was recently in cinemas. And now we have the original article, a touring version of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery, which has been playing in the West End for 70 years (a virtually continuous run, broken only by the pandemic).

Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone, is generally regarded as the first literary detective novel, though it was Agatha Christie who developed and honed the rock solid ‘whodunit’ format which most writers who followed her have imitated, albeit with subtle variations (TV’s Columbo being one of the best; we know whodunit in the first ten minutes, the question is more ‘when will they be caught?’)

Torquay born Christie wrote 66 novels, and 14 short story collections, in a writing career which spanned fifty years. It’s perhaps less well known that she was also a playwright, penning over a dozen stage plays, including The Mousetrap. Why has it survived so long? Because of a generous verbal contract between writer, cast and audience: that nobody should reveal the killer’s identity after the curtain comes down.

As the radio broadcasts regular updates of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at a remote country guesthouse, run by married couple Mollie and Giles Ralston (Joelle Dyson and Laurence Pears). Guests include budding young architect ‘Christopher Wrenn’ – engagingly played by a hyperactive Elliot Clay – and tetchy misanthrope Mrs Boyle ( Gwyneth Strong , effortlessly managing to shake off the spectre of Cassandra in Only Fools and Horses). Glamorously aloof, and dressed in masculine attire, Miss Casewell (Essie Barrow) makes vague reference to a childhood trauma. The fly in the ointment – or maybe he’s just a red herring – is garrulous, stereotypical Italian Mr Paravicini (John Altman): ‘I am the unexpected guest’, he trills with an air of triumph, ‘the guest you did not invite … a man of mystery!’ Yes, we get the point. Enter no nonsence skiing copper Detective Sgt Trotter (Joseph Reed), who informs the guests that a killer is in the house. With nothing much to lose, the characters reveal the personal secrets that continue to haunt them.

The killer is ‘mentally unstable’, we are told. The murder itself is a long time coming, at the end of Act One, and joint directors Ian Talbot and Denise Silvey build up the tension nicely. The event itself seems thrown away, taking place in darkness with muted screams. How thrilling it would be to present this scene by candlelight – or to see the killer’s actions illuminated with a shaft of moonlight.

On the plus side, the drawing room set – care of Splinter Scenery – is rather fabulous; I’d happily spend a weekend at Monkswell Manor sprawled on a chaise lounge, nursing an egg nog latte.

The Mousetrap isn’t Christie’s best work by a long chalk (it was originally a short story). For those who’ve devoured her better known novels – such as Murder on the Orient Express – it feels a tad pedestrian. What’s missing of course, is larger than life detective Hercule Poirot, and his little grey cells; Sgt Trotter just isn’t in the same league as Belgium’s most famous export (after Tin Tin, of course).

Still, it’s a briskly paced, fun night out. And the twist itself is a complete surprise; like playing a game of Cluedo and discovering a new character has appeared in the deck (Brigadier Bumbag, perhaps?). Anyone foolish enough to publicly reveal the killer’s identity will face the wrath of the Christie estate, and endure a spanking with Hercule Poirot’s wet galoshes. You have been warned.

The Mousetrap 70th anniversary tour is at the Opera House, Manchester from 28 November to 3 December 2022.

Read our interview with Agatha Christie’s grandson, Mathew Prichard.

Steve Timms

Steve Timms grew up in Oldham and studied Theatre at the University of Huddersfield. He has written for several publications including City Life, The Big Issue, Litro. Little White Lies and Storgy. He is the author of several plays including Detox Mansion, American Beer, and Temp/Casual (staged at Contact Theatre in 2011). He is a recipient of the Peggy Ramsay award.

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Review: the mousetrap.

The Mousetrap 70th Anniversary Tour has arrived at The Grand Opera House, Belfast

Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap has a little bit of everything for everyone; a bit fun, a bit of tension, a bit of nostalgia, a bit of action and drama, and a whole lot of theatre history. It’s a simple enough murder mystery on a grand set with lots of rooms to enter and exit from to create action.

In London it’s an institution; a tourist attraction everyone wants to see.  Why has it been so successful? Because it’s a charming night at the theatre, it’s legendary and you feel you have to see it, because.. it’s The Mousetrap! We thoroughly enjoyed it. And although we’d seen it in the Opera House before.. we had kept the secret of the murderer locked away in our heads so safely that we couldn’t remember! Also… for you 80’s kids… it’s only Tucker from Grange Hill and Mark Fowler from Eastenders playing Major Metcalf!! Thanks for the memories Todd Carty. A great night at the theatre experiencing an iconic production. The Mousetrap runs until Saturday 2nd March https://www.goh.co.uk  

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The Mousetrap 70th Anniversary Tour – Todd Carty and Gwyneth Strong join cast

Todd Carty and Gwyneth Strong have been cast in Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap 70th Anniversary Tour.

Initial casting is announced for the 70 th Anniversary tour of The Mousetrap , the longest running play in the world, which will visit over 70 venues throughout the UK and Ireland from this September.

Launching the tour will be Todd Carty in the role of Major Metcalf. Carty has had a long career on stage and screen but is most known for his television roles of Mark Fowler in EastEnders, PC Gabriel Kent in The Bill and Tucker Jenkins in Grange Hill . He was a contestant Dancing on Ice and Celebrity Masterchef .

Television actress Gwyneth Strong will return to the role of Mrs Boyle for intital venues. She is known for her beloved portrayal of Cassandra in Only Fools and Horses.

Further casting is to be announced.

The genre-defining murder mystery from Agatha Christie, the world’s best-selling novelist of all time, will open at the Theatre Royal Nottingham, where it held its original world premiere in 1952. The iconic thriller will then visit over 70 venues across the country, including all cities to which it originally played 70 years ago, plus many more.

This 70 th Anniversary tour marks the first of many ways that The Mousetrap will be celebrating its extraordinary milestone year.

Following its 1952 premiere touring production, The Mousetrap opened in the West End where still to this day, it continues its record-breaking engagement at the St Martin’s Theatre having been performed there over 28,500 times, selling over 10 million tickets.

Opening at Theatre Royal Nottingham on 27 September 2022, the 70 th Anniversary tour of The Mousetrap will visit Dublin, Cork, Brighton, Birmingham, Liverpool, Oxford, Bath, Manchester,Norwich, Malvern, Newcastle, Coventry, Southampton, York, Cardiff, Plymouth, Lichfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Woking, Perth, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cheltenham, Milton Keynes, Sheffield, Inverness, Aberdeen, Blackpool, Hereford, Chelmsford, Dundee, Derby, Bristol, Leeds, Cambridge, Torquay, Buxton, Swansea, Northampton, Truro, Peterborough, King’s Lynn, Guildford, New Brighton, Bromley, and Hastings, continuing throughout 2023 with further venues into 2024 to be announced in due course.

Full tour schedule for The Mousetrap Tour can be found here.

As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at Monkswell Manor, a remote countryside guesthouse. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst. One by one, the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts. Which one is the murderer? Who will be their next victim?

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The Mousetrap Tour – Agatha Christie’s classic whodunnit 70th birthday tour

Todd Carty will perform the role of Major Metcalf in Nottingham, Dublin, Cork, Brighton, Birmingham, Liverpool, Oxford, Bath, Norwich, Malvern, Newcastle, Coventry, Southampton, York, Cardiff, Plymouth, Lichfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Woking, Perth, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.

Gwyneth Strong will perform the role of Mrs Boyle in Nottingham, Dublin, Cork, Brighton, Birmingham, Liverpool, Oxford, Bath, and Manchester.

Douglas Mayo has had a life long love affair with musical theatre. He has authored several books on publicity and marketing for amateur theatre groups. He is in the process of developing a musical based on his original story concept.

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The Mousetrap tour

Currently touring until 3 August 2024

Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap is the world's longest-running play and is now on tour across the UK direct from the West End.

The Mousetrap tour dates and tickets

• Exeter , Northcott Theatre 15 April 2024 - 20 April 2024 Book tickets ➤
• Poole , Lighthouse 29 April 2024 - 4 May 2024 Book tickets ➤
• Dublin , Gaiety Theatre 7 May 2024 - 18 May 2024 Book tickets ➤
• Dunfermline , Alhambra Theatre 27 May 2024 - 1 June 2024 Book tickets ➤
• Shrewsbury , Severn Theatre 3 June 2024 - 8 June 2024 Book tickets ➤
• Wakefield , Theatre Royal 10 June 2024 - 15 June 2024 Sign up for updates
• Wolverhampton , Grand Theatre 24 June 2024 - 29 June 2024 Book tickets ➤
• Salisbury , Playhouse 1 July 2024 - 6 July 2024 Book tickets ➤
• Dunstable , Grove Theatre 8 July 2024 - 13 July 2024 Book tickets ➤
• Colchester , Mercury Theatre 16 July 2024 - 20 July 2024 Book tickets ➤
• Darlington , Hippodrome 23 July 2024 - 27 July 2024 Book tickets ➤
• Windsor , Theatre Royal 29 July 2024 - 3 August 2024 Book tickets ➤

The world’s longest running play, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is the genre-defining murder mystery from the best-selling novelist of all time.

As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at a remote countryside guesthouse. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst! Which one is the murderer? Who will be their next victim? Can you solve this world-famous mystery for yourself?

Meet The Mousetrap tour cast

Currently on the tour at select venues is Todd Carty (EastEnders) in the role of Major Metcalf with Gwyneth Strong (Only Fools and Horses) as Mrs Boyle. Check venue website for exact casting.

They are joined by Steven Elliott as Mr Paravicini, Neerja Naik as Mollie Ralston, Barnaby Jago as Giles Ralston, Michael Ayiotis as Detective Sgt Trotter, Shaun McCourt as Christopher Wren and Amy Spinks as Miss Casewell.

Jack George, Jonathan Mathews, Matthew Newton, Judith Rae and Hollie Sullivan complete the cast as understudies.

The production is directed by Ian Talbot

About the show

Genre: Play

Age recommendation and guidance: Suitable for ages 7+

Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes (including 20 minute interval)

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The Mousetrap – 70th Anniversary Tour

The Mousetrap, the longest running play in the world, will launch a major new tour of the UK and Ireland in 2023. The genre-defining murder mystery from Agatha Christie, the world’s best-selling novelist of all time, will visit over 70 venues across the country, including all cities to which it originally played 70 years ago, plus many more.

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The Mousetrap , the longest running play in the world, will launch a major new tour of the UK and Ireland in 2023. The genre-defining murder mystery from Agatha Christie, the world’s best-selling novelist of all time, will visit over 70 venues across the country, including all cities to which it originally played 70 years ago, plus many more.

Adam Spiegel , the producer of  The Mousetrap , said: “What better way to celebrate 70 glorious years of The  Mousetrap  by taking Agatha Christie’s world-famous whodunnit to over 70 towns and cities throughout the UK and Ireland. A true British classic, this beloved tale of intrigue and suspense is as enthralling today as it was when it first opened in 1952 and I am thrilled that audiences, of all ages, and from all corners of the country, will have the chance to see it in their local theatres”.

Following its 1952 premiere touring production,  The Mousetrap  opened in the West End where still to this day, it continues its record-breaking engagement at the St Martin’s Theatre having been performed there over 28,500 times, selling over 10 million tickets.

A full tour schedule, further information through the website  MousetrapOnTour.co.uk

Casting will be announced soon.

As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at Monkswell Manor, a stately countryside guesthouse. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst. One by one, the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts. Which one is the murderer? Who will be their next victim?

The Mousetrap  is produced by  Adam Spiegel Productions  and Directed by  Ian Talbot OBE .

For further information, see  MousetrapOnTour.co.uk

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Cast Announced for The Mousetrap!

New casting announced for agatha christie’s iconic thriller the mousetrap at the courtyard..

New casting is announced for the 70th Anniversary tour of The Mousetrap . The longest running play in the world, which continues to enthrall audiences throughout the UK and Ireland.

From 15 May 2023, including at The Courtyard, the cast of the iconic murder-mystery on tour will include Todd Carty (EastEnders, Grange Hill, Dancing on Ice) who continues to play Major Metcalf and Catherine Shipton (known for playing Lisa ‘Duffy’ Duffin in BBC drama Casualty) as Mrs. Boyle.

They will be joined by…

Rachel Dawson (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Gillian Lynn Theatre) as Mollie Ralston, Michael Lyle (Amedeus at National Theatre and RSC’s A Christmas Carol) as Giles Ralston, Shaun McCourt (The Railyway Children at Kings Cross Theatre and War Horse at the National Theatre), as Christopher Wren, Leigh Lothian (Lovely Bones at Birmingham Rep and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre and on tour) as Miss Casewell, Steven Elliot (The Ladykillers UK tour and Associate Artist of Theatre Clwyd) as Mr. Paravicini, and Garyn Williams (The Corn is Green at the National Theatre) as Detective Sgt. Trotter.

Book your tickets to The Mousetrap at The Courtyard 

Genre-defining murder mystery The Mousetrap , written by Agatha Christie, the world’s best-selling novelist of all time, premiered at Theatre Royal Nottingham in 1952 and toured the UK before opening in the West End where it continues its record-breaking engagement at the St Martin’s Theatre, 70 years on. The iconic thriller’s 70th Anniversary tour also opened in Nottingham in September 2022, and continues to travel throughout the UK and Ireland, marking its milestone anniversary by visiting over 70 theatres, including all cities to which it originally played 70 years ago, plus many more.

As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at Monkswell Manor, a remote countryside guesthouse. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst. One by one, the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts. Which one is the murderer? Who will be their next victim?

The Mousetrap is produced by Adam Spiegel with Direction by Ian Talbot OBE and Denise Silvey.

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The Mousetrap - Grand Opera House

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The Mousetrap

First time back at the GOH since the renovations. Still as charming as ever. Came to see the Mousetrap. Brilliant show. Had a drink in the new lobby area . Really enjoyed the whole experience and looking forward to returning. A real gem.

Went to see The Mousetrap. Fantastic building, very helpful staff and top class show! Actors were first class. Building is clean and tidy with lots of history. Can’t wait to go back.

Extremely worth a night out , wonderful old theatre in the heart of Belfast. Pre theatre dinner , try The Catch restaurant ,just a few minutes away from the Opera House on Wellington Pl , even my fussy teenage s found the carbarnara Absolutely amazing .. we were able to pre order cocktails that were waiting for us at the interval .. overall a great experience and lovely evening ..

Wow wow wow, what a building, what a place, last visit here was 11 years ago and it is as unbelievable as ever. Great building, great staff. Toilets and food and drink selection was slightly dissapointing but overall another great experience in the heart of Belfast City

We went to the pantomime to see Snow White. It was fantastic. Enjoyed by the adults as much as the kids.

The worst online ordering system I have come across. It is extremely NOT user friendly. Fourth attempt to order online has failed. I think I will just giVE up

Theatre Fan

The Latest Theatre News, Views & Reviews By Shaun Tossell

THE MOUSETRAP – 70TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR – NEW CASTING ANNOUNCED

⭐ THE MOUSETRAP – 70TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR – NEW CASTING ANNOUNCED ⭐

New casting has been announced for the 70th Anniversary tour of The Mousetrap.

From 15th May 2023, the cast of the iconic murder-mystery on tour will include Todd Carty (EastEnders) who continues to play Major Metcalf and Catherine Shipton (Casualty) as Mrs. Boyle.

They will be joined by Rachel Dawson (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) as Mollie Ralston, Michael Lyle (Amedeus) as Giles Ralston, Shaun McCourt (War Horse) as Christopher Wren, Leigh Lothian (Lovely Bones) as Miss Casewell, Steven Elliot (The Ladykillers) as Mr. Paravicini, and Garyn Williams (The Corn is Green) as Detective Sgt. Trotter.

Genre-defining murder mystery The Mousetrap, written by Agatha Christie, the world’s best-selling novelist of all time, premiered at Theatre Royal Nottingham in 1952 and toured the UK before opening in the West End where it continues its record-breaking engagement at the St Martin’s Theatre, 70 years on.

The iconic thriller’s 70th Anniversary tour also opened in Nottingham in September 2022, and continues to travel throughout the UK and Ireland, marking its milestone anniversary by visiting over 70 theatres, including all cities to which it originally played 70 years ago, plus many more.

Tour dates & venues – MousetrapOnTour.co.uk

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The Mousetrap

Closed: 03 February 2024

The Mousetrap reveals new touring cast

Performances continue this week in Sunderland

New casting has been confirmed for the ongoing 70th anniversary tour of The Mousetrap , the iconic murder-mystery that continues to entertain audiences across the UK and Ireland.

From tomorrow, 30 January, the cast  will include Todd Carty ( EastEnders )  and Gwyneth Strong ( Only Fools and Horses ), continuing in their respective roles as Major Metcalf and Mrs Boyle.

They will be joined on stage by Neerja Naik (as Mollie Ralston), Barnaby Jago (as Giles Ralston), Shaun McCourt (as Christopher Wren), Amy Spinks (as Miss Casewell), Steven Elliot (as Mr Paravicini), and Michael Ayiotis (as Detective Sgt Trotter).

Agatha Christie’s genre-defining murder mystery made its debut at Theatre Royal Nottingham in 1952, embarking on a successful UK tour before finding its home in the West End, where it has been running for an unprecedented 70 years at the St Martin’s Theatre.

To celebrate its anniversary, the play commenced its current tour in Nottingham in September 2022 and has been traversing the UK and Ireland, visiting over 70 theatres, including the cities it originally played in 70 years ago and many more.

The Mousetrap is produced by Adam Spiegel, with direction by Ian Talbot and Denise Silvey.

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ABOUT THE PLAY

Agatha christie’s the mousetrap is the world’s longest-running play..

This thrilling West End production is THE genre-defining murder mystery from the best-selling novelist of all time… case closed!

As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at a remote countryside guesthouse. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst! One by one, the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts. Which one is the murderer? Who will be their next victim? Can you solve this world-famous mystery for yourself?

For over 70 years, AGATHA CHRISTIE’S THE MOUSETRAP has kept millions of people from every corner of the globe on the edge of their seats.

HAVE YOUDUNNIT?

The suspects.

Agatha Christie’s script allows for incredible flexibility of interpretation and embodiment of each role. Every new cast member brings new depth to the production, and every night’s audience brings its own energy. As a result, each of the 28,000+ performances has been unique.

But there are some things that remain unchanged in Christie’s clever characterisation...

IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:

MOLLIE RALSTON

A newlywed who has inherited Monkswell Manor and has recently opened it as a guesthouse with her husband. But why has she opened a guesthouse now… and what is she hiding?

GILES RALSTON

The more cautious proprietor of Monkswell Manor, and Molly's husband of only a year. A man with no solid past, he appears to have little interest in running a guesthouse, and is quick to judge his guests.

CHRISTOPHER WREN

A young architect with a flamboyant and often inappropriate sense of humour. His energetic conversation style can appear light-hearted, but also has an unnerving undertone. It is clear that he is hiding something.

A retiree whose acerbic tone makes her a challenging guest. Strong-willed and uncompromising, she has a chip on her shoulder and a secret on her mind...

MAJOR METCALF

A disciplined and affable gentleman who seems all too keen to help his hosts cope with the consequences of the snowstorm. But who is he really, and why is he there?

MISS CASEWELL

An aloof young woman on a business trip. Unwilling to discuss private matters and disinterested in the opinion of her fellow guests. She’s travelled a long way to be there, but why?

MR. PARAVICINI

A roguish gentleman who hides his reasons for being there and acts as if visiting from another era. He delights in the guests’ uncertainty and appears to enjoy the game… but what part does he play?

DETECTIVE SGT. TROTTER

The young detective assigned to report on the Monkswell Manor situation as it unfolds. Determined and authoritative, with a keen mind. Will he solve the case before it’s too late?

Follow the case...

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Theatre promotion, review: the mousetrap (touring) royal & derngate. northampton.

As the longest running play in the world; it can be extremely difficult to review The Mousetrap with any new insight which has not already been shared before.  It is even more difficult to bring a fresh and inspired performance to such a timeless classic. However, that is exactly what the new cast of the 70 th Anniversary Tour of The Mousetrap have accomplished.

There’s rippled excitement tonight at the Royal and Derngate in Northampton for this touring production of The Mousetrap . It is currently on a seven month tour of the UK and I am unsure what to expect.  I may be one of the only people left in the UK who does not know the identity of the culprit in this eponymous murder mystery.

To confirm my suspicions, I ask some of the guests within the sold-out Derngate if they know the secret and am pleasantly surprised to find out that very few people even know the story.  The Mousetrap , it seems, like a Dickens novel, is a play that everyone has heard of, but few have experienced.

The play has a tradition that is beautifully upheld by the final curtain when the audience are invited into the fold as members of the club that now know the secret but should keep it under lock and key .

The play itself is introduced by the revealing of the long red velvet curtains of the main stage which open slowly to reveal a ravishing set showcasing the drawing room of Monkswell Manor Guest House, complete with roaring fire to ward off the snowdrifts outside and oak panelling throughout.   An off-centre scattering of furniture gives the cast ample room to manoeuvre around the set and makes all of the interactions look natural.  It’s  the perfect scene for the inevitable, Agatha Christie hallmark, murder.

To the credit of the design team, they have produced a wonderful set which provides six entrances and exits which are used at such dizzying speed that the audience are never quite sure of who has gone where and when which adds to the intrigue.  Cast members enter and exit with believability and we truly are witnessing a collection of guests thrown together.   

We are first introduced to the guest house proprietors Mollie and Giles Ralston, played by Neerja Naik and Barnaby Jago.  The husband-and-wife couple enter with the intent of hiding something from the other arousing the audience’ suspicions immediately.   Naik, in her role as empathetic hostess, is dazzling but as the plot develops she quietly asserts strength and resolve; a truly wonderful performance.

One by one other guests arrive beginning with the hyperactive Christopher Wren played superbly by Shaun McCourt. McCourt lavishes in the comedic relief and camp flourishes of his character.  Next to enter is acerbic Mrs Boyle, who to much audience nostalgia is played by Gwyneth Strong.  Strong plays the hawk-like Boyle with an understated malice, irritated by everything and everyone in the room.

We are then treated to the arrival of Todd Carty as the blustering Major Metcalf who acts as a foil to the negativity of Boyle, his relentless optimism always on display. 

Lastly, the guest list is completed by the two stand-out performances.  Amy Spinks enters as Miss Casewell.  Spinks imbues the masculine, direct speaking Casewell with the spirit of Amelia Earhart.  Despite having fewer lines, she makes the absolute most of the role. Her pace of delivery and sharp responses are a welcome relief from some of the longer pauses within the play.

Finally, we are treated to the scene-stealing Steven Elliott who musters all of his prestigious stage experience to win the crowd with every line as Mr Paracivini.  His measured cadence reveals an actor positively enjoying himself.  Paracivini doubles as both comic relief, sharing the inner thoughts of the audience with a knowing wink and also heightening the tension by reminding both the cast and audience that danger is afoot at every door and hallway.  It is not unfair to say that each line delivered by Elliott has the crowd tittering in mirth or edging forward in their seats.   In Elliot we have an  actor at the top of his craft playing this audience like a fiddle.

However, whilst the guest list is complete, the cast is not.  A final character, detective Sgt Trotter, played by the confident Michael Ayiotis completes the stage line-up.  Ayiotis admirably opts for a more energetic form of investigating detective.  The anti-Poirot, he moves energetically around the set interrogating the suspects, lambasting others and perceiving others with open, naked suspicion.

It has to be said, the whole cast are wonderful together with a lot of energy and, especially for an opening night, the quality on display is evident.

However, as all opening nights, some small technical issues do slightly mar the experience including a missing sound cue for the wireless radio and telephone but these are quickly rectified for the second act.

The direction, dual-handed by both Ian Talbot and Denise Silvey is very good and, despite the dozens of exit and entrances by actors we are never totally lost as an audience; merely unaware of exactly who might be responsible for the murder since all characters have the opportunity to traverse the set.   However, the final act suffers from some very minor issues including a character’s insistence on using their downstage hand whilst holding a weapon leading to a covering of the face and blocking their own lines.

Overall, all, this version of The Mousetrap is a marvellous testament to the original The Mousetrap , a production that Christie herself did not think would last beyond eight months. The cast perform with style and deserve all the applause for continuing a theatre tradition with a fresh, enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining show. 

The Royal and Derngate , is now under the stewardship of new Creative Director, Jesse Jones, and its investment in quality touring work, like The Mousetrap , demonstrates its ongoing significance as a regional theatre of importance.

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One thought on “ review: the mousetrap (touring) royal & derngate. northampton ”.

Dear Mr. Feeney,

We saw this production and the exact same cast in Belfast last week, and I was thus very interested to read your review. I think you have done a truly excellent job and it would be remiss of me indeed to fail to offer comment. Crisp, articulate and embodying an enjoyable level of detail, reviews in my experience don’t come any better than this. Congratulations and good work my dear fellow.

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