The the longest running play in the world is celebrating with a 70th anniversary tour – and in a major coup for Dunfermline, the Alhambra Theatre has been chosen as one of the venues.
The Mousetrap, which continues to enthral audiences throughout the UK, will be on stage at the Alhambra from May 27 to June 1, 2024.
Written by Agatha Christie, the world’s best-selling novelist of all time, the genre-defining murder mystery premiered at Theatre Royal Nottingham in 1952 and toured the UK before opening in the West End where it continues its record-breaking engagement at the St Martin’s Theatre, 70 years on.
The iconic thriller’s 70th anniversary tour also opened in Nottingham in September 2022, and continues to travel throughout the UK and Ireland, marking its milestone anniversary by visiting over 70 theatres, including all cities to which it originally played 70 years ago, plus many more.
The cast of the iconic murder-mystery on tour includes Todd Carty (EastEnders, Grange Hill, Dancing on Ice) as Major Metcalf, and Gwyneth Strong (Only Fools and Horses, EastEnders) as Mrs Boyle.
Todd is excited to be starring in The Mousetrap, commenting: "I saw it about 40 years ago, when I was a much younger man, and when I got the call ‘Would you like to be in The Mousetrap?’ I didn’t hesitate.
"I remembered it being such a great play and I’ve always been an Agatha Christie fan, having first gotten hooked on her storytelling by seeing the Margaret Rutherford/Miss Marple films on TV.
"Now here I am 40 years later playing Major Metcalf in the UK and Ireland tour. It’s fantastic."
Gwyneth had previously starred in The Mousetrap on tour in 2019, and when she was asked to do it again, she jumped at the chance.
She said: "As an actor it’s lovely when you get another chance at something and I have such happy memories of it.
"The audiences love it so much and it’s got such a tinge of history, especially with it now being the 70th anniversary. I just thought I definitely want to be part of that."
The Mousetrap is produced by Adam Spiegel with direction by Ian Talbot OBE and Denise Silvey.
As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at Monkswell Manor, a remote countryside guesthouse.
When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst. One by one, the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts.
Which one is the murderer? Who will be their next victim? All will be revealed at the Alhambra theatre next year.
Tickets for the Alhambra dates will be on sale soon. Check www.alhambradunfermline.com for more details.
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