Christie on Stage
The Mousetrap
For over 56 years The Mousetrap has been thrilling audiences in London’s West End. The longest running play in the world first opened at The Ambassadors Theatre in 1952 and starred the great Sir Richard Attenborough. Since then many illustrious actors have trod the boards in “The cleverest murder mystery of the British Theatre” (The Daily Telegraph). The origins of the play prove Christie was a favourite with the British Royal family. Sir Peter Saunders, the original producer of The Mousetrap wrote:
"When the late Queen Mary was approaching her eightieth birthday she was asked by the BBC what she would like to celebrate the event - anything from Shakespeare to opera. Queen Mary said she would like 'an Agatha Christie play' and Mrs Christie promptly wrote a thirty-minute radio production called Three Blind Mice. This was eventually to become The Mousetrap! It was some years later that Agatha Christie asked me to lunch with her. Over the coffee she handed me a brown paper parcel and said: 'This is a little present for you.' The present was the script of The Mousetrap. ”The production celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2002 with a special Gala Performance attended by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Audiences can now watch The Mousetrap at its new home at St. Martins Theatre.
Reviews
"One of the most skillfully written murder mysteries ever produced" New York Times
"A truly entertaining classic thriller" The Sunday Times
"Deservedly a classic among murder thrillers" The Observer
"The cleverest murder mystery of the British theatre" The Daily Telegraph