Wednesday 21st August 2002

"THE MOUSETRAP" NOW BOOKING TO 31ST MAY 2003

Agatha Christie's thriller The Mousetrap , has announced a new 6 month booking period at the St Martin's Theatre covering performances from 2nd Dec 2002 to 31st May 2003.

Directed by David Turner, the world's longest running play broke another record on 16th Dec 00, when it celebrated its 20,000th performance.

Over ten million people have been to see the Agatha Christie classic since it opened on 25th Nov 1952 with Richard Attenborough and Sheila Simms in the leading roles. Since then over 318 actors and actresses have appeared in the play, which has been presented in 44 countries and translated into 24 different languages.

The armchair and the clock on the set have been there since the first performance.

In the world's worst film deal, the movie rights to The Mousetrap were sold in 1956 - with the proviso that the film could not be released until six months after the end of the London stage run.

One actor, David Raven, played Major Metcalf from July 1958 to November 1968.

Nany Seabrooke, understudied the role of Mrs Boyle for 6,240 performances, ending in 1994. She appeared 72 times.

Agatha Christie became a Dame of the British Empire in 1971; she died on the 12th January 1976 aged 85.

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