The Mousetrap celebrates 75 years at the Mayflower

Southampton's Mayflower Theatre has added a bit of theatrical history to its 2027 bill. The Mousetrap, the world's longest-running play, is coming to town from 19 to 24 April as part of its 75th anniversary UK tour, which kicks off in Birmingham on 3 September 2026 and goes on to visit more than 25 cities across the UK and Ireland.

For anyone who has never seen it, the play is a classic whodunnit by Agatha Christie, and it carries a record that is hard to beat. It opened in London's West End on 25 November 1952 at the Ambassador Theatre, moved to the St Martin's Theatre in 1974, and has since celebrated its 30,000th performance, holding a Guinness World Records certificate for the longest theatrical run. The West End production is still going, with bookings extending into its 75th year and out to 3 January 2027.

The tour is produced by Brian Fenty and directed by Hannah Chissick, with lighting by Nic Farman, casting by Denise Silvey and resident director Myles Brown. The cast is a well-travelled one: Emily Laing (One Life) as Mollie Ralston, Jack Hardwick (The Bodyguard UK tour) as Giles Ralston, Thomas Barrett (Summer Folk, National Theatre) as Christopher Wren, Clare Duffy (Pipe Dream, Union Theatre) as Miss Casewell, James Peake (The Invisible Man, Eastbourne Theatres) as Mr Paravicini, Alfie Richards (The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, UK tour) as Detective Sergeant Trotter, Nicholas Bailey (EastEnders) as Major Metcalf, and Susan Penhaligon (A Fine Romance) as Mrs Boyle. It is a solid ensemble, and the play runs for two hours and five minutes including the interval.

It is worth a bit of background on the writer, because the Mousetrap is only one of the many reasons Agatha Christie is a household name. Born in Torquay in 1890 and known as the Queen of Crime, she is the best-selling novelist in history, with over two billion copies sold worldwide, and UNESCO considers her the most translated individual author. And Then There Were None alone has sold roughly 100 million copies. In 2013, the Crime Writers' Association voted her the best crime writer and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd the best crime novel of all time. She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1971 and died in 1976 at the age of 85.

Her work has never really left the stage or the screen, either. The Mousetrap is just the start of a long list of adaptations, from the 1974 Murder on the Orient Express that earned Ingrid Bergman an Oscar to the more recent See How They Run, with Samuel Rockwell and Saoare Ronan. If you are planning a group outing, it is worth knowing that group bookings of ten or more can be requested online or by phone, and ATG+ membership brings priority booking, ringfenced seats, flexible tickets and a few perks at the bar. With the tour visiting more than 25 cities, the Southampton stop is a nice chance to catch a piece of theatre history without leaving the city.