Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap

Quite simply a great piece of theatrical history, this whodunit written by the greatest crime writer of all time, Agatha Christie, is the world's longest running stage play. The Mousetrap is currently celebrating its astonishing 60th anniversary in the West End, where this extraordinary classic has famously run at London’s St. Martin’s Theatre for the last 38 years, more than half of its record-breaking run. The play is also known for its twist ending, which the audience are traditionally asked not to reveal after leaving the theatre.

The classic murder mystery play The Mousetrap first entered the record books in April 1958 when it became the longest running show of any kind in the history of British Theatre. Richard Attenborough and his fellow film-star and wife, Sheila Sim took the leading roles when the production first opened in the West End at The Ambassadors Theatre in 1952. It played there for 21 years before moving to the adjacent St Martin’s Theatre in 1973 without missing a performance.