The Mousetrap now booking to 21 Dec 2013

Agatha Christie's long running thriller The Mousetrap , has extended its booking period and is now selling tickets through to 21 Dec 2013 at the St Martin's Theatre.

Currently directed by Geoff Bullen, The Mousetrap's plot is one of the West End's best-kept secrets, and audiences are requested to keep the identity of the killer locked in their hearts.

A group of people gathered together in a remote part of the countryside discover there is a murderer in their midst. The question is which one of them is the guilty party.

Originally written as a radio play, the world's longest running play has now chalked up over 23,000 performances.

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 382 actors and actresses have appeared in the play, which has been presented in 44 countries and translated into 24 different languages.

In 2000 the set was replaced for the first time during the run at St Martin's Theatre, still to the same design as the original. This task was completed over a weekend without the loss of a 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 for 4575 performances from July 1958 to November 1968.

Nancy Seabrooke, understudied the role of Mrs Boyle for 6,240 performances for 15 years, 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.

- by Darren Dalglish