Whilst productions such as Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera possess the distinctions of being the longest running musicals in the West End, another show that continues to attract audiences at St Martin’s Theatre is the longest running show in the world. It takes the form of Agatha Christie’s play The Mousetrap, which has been running for almost sixty years in the West End, meaning that other productions have a lot of catching up to do if they ever wish to take the title. But as The Mousetrap is not set to end any time soon, we can expect it to continue to break records well into the future.
The plot follows some familiar beats for anyone that is a fan of the work of Agatha Christie and her novels - detailing sleuths like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. We meet Giles and Mollie Ralston, a couple that run a new hotel born from a converted manor house and on one particularly cold and snowy night they are inundated with new guests. A snowdrift has forced a number of visitors their way and whilst this seems like great news at first, matters soon take an unexpected turn.
Enter Detective Sergeant Trotter, who is en-route to the hotel to try to solve a murder that has happened nearby. The Ralstons are informed that the murderer is still on the loose and it soon becomes clear that the culprit could be one of their new hotel guests. Only time can tell which one of the visitors it is.
It is reported that Christie did not have high hopes for the production when it first opened in the 1950s, opening its doors at the Ambassador’s Theatre in 1952, but it would go on to become an unprecedented success. It would remain at the venue for almost twenty years before transferring to the nearby St Martin’s Theatre in 1974, where it remains to this day. To keep the story fresh and exciting for visitors the cast is regularly changed around, whilst audiences are encouraged to keep the mysteries of its ending a secret.
As such the show remains as exciting and unmissable as it first did in 1952.
The Mousetrap continues to run at St Martin’s Theatre and it is currently booking well into 2011.
Venue Information
St Martins Theatre
West Street
London
WC2H 0DP View Map
Directions
Take the Piccadilly or Northern line to Leicester Square station. The theatre is a 5 minute walk.
