The Mousetrap: A guide to the West End's longest-running show

Agatha Christie's hit murder mystery based on a short story began as a radio play written for Queen Mary as a birthday present. It was originally broadcast under the title Three Blind Mice on 30 May 1947 before eventually being turned into a play.

The Mousetrap opens in the Great Hall of Monkswell Manor. News on the radio is blaring about the murder of Maureen Lyon but Mollie and Giles Ralston, the young newlyweds and new owners of the estate, hardly pay attention. But when the couple and their guests become snowed in and the phone lines go down, they realise the murderer is on the loose in the guesthouse and they have no idea whodunnit.

Yes. The Mousetrap is still running in London's West End!

The Mousetrap's running time is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes including an interval.

Unlike the board game Clue and its subsequent film adaptation, Agatha Christie's play The Mousetrap does not have multiple endings, but in fact, one twist ending that goes against all clichés of the whodunnit formula where a detective solves a crime and exposes the remaining plot points.

The murderer at Monkswell Manor is intended to remain a secret. Just like when Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was first released in the West End, those who see The Mousetrap are sworn to secrecy and should never reveal the ending. In 2010, Christie's grandson Matthew Prichard was upset to find that ending of The Mousetrap was revealed on Wikipedia. Therefore, all those wishing to be taken by surprise should refrain from looking for plot spoilers online.

The Mousetrap received its world premiere at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham on 6 October 1952. The show then hit the road for a UK tour before beginning its run in London on 25 November 1952 at the Ambassadors Theatre where it ran until 23 March 1974. It then immediately transferred to its current home at St Martin's Theatre where it runs in the West End still to this day.

The Mousetrap play in London is recommended for ages 7 and up. Children under the age of 5 will NOT be admitted into the theatre and babes in arms are NOT permitted.

The best restaurants near The Mousetrap include the famous yet pricy restaurant The Ivy, Dishoom, Pizza Pilgrims and Heliot Steakhouse for pre-theatre dining options and The Alchemist on St Martins Lane for excellent after-theatre nibbles.

In order to allow for more time to clean the theatre in between performances, matinee performances of The Mousetrap on Thursdays and Saturdays have been moved from 4pm to 3pm. Evening performances of The Mousetrap in London take place at 7.30pm.

The Mousetrap London cast stars Richard Leeming as Christopher Wren, Rekha John-Cheriyan as Mrs Boyle, Owen Oakeshott as Major Metcalf, Lara Lemon as Mollie Ralston, Grace Darling as Miss Casewell, and Harry Bradley as Giles Ralston.

The Mousetrap is showing at St Martins Theatre in London's West End. The venue is located near Charing Cross Train Station and Leicester Square Tube Station.

The Mousetrap opened in London on 25 November 1952 at the Ambassadors Theatre.

The best seats to see The Mousetrap at St Martin's Theatre are located in the Stalls with the best views of the stage found in seats 6-16 of rows D-H. Good value seats can be found in the Upper Circle, where you can generally get unobstructed views at a discounted price. But even if you don't manage to find cheap seats for The Mousetrap, St Martin's Theatre is not a large venue. Built as a pair with the Ambassadors Theatre and with just 541 seats in total, St Martin's Theatre is small enough to enjoy the show comfortably no matter where you sit.

Tickets for The Mousetrap are on sale with London Theatre Direct at affordable (and sometimes discounted!) prices. Get the best seats at the best prices now.