The Mousetrap had its world premiere on 6th October 1952 at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham. It subsequently visited the New Theatre, Oxford; The Opera House, Manchester; The Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool; The Theatre Royal, Newcastle; The Grand Theatre, Leeds; and the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, before opening in London at the Ambassadors Theatre on Tuesday 25th November.

In the cast were Richard Attenborough, Sheila Sim, Martin Miller, Jessica Spencer, Aubrey Dexter, Mignon O’Doherty, Allan McClelland and John Paul.

A major record was achieved by The Mousetrap on 12th April 1958 when it played its 2,239th performance thereby becoming the longest-ever run in London. On the Sunday evening, 13th April, Peter Saunders gave a party to celebrate at the Savoy Hotel. The Daily Mail the following morning carried this account by Douglas Marlborough:

“A silver-haired middle-aged woman with a motherly smile walked into the Savoy Hotel last night and was stopped by a porter as she approached the banqueting hall where a big theatrical party was about to begin. ‘Your ticket, please, ma’am,’ said the porter. But she didn’t have a ticket. She was the guest of honor. Her name: Mrs. Max Edgar Lucien Mallowan – Agatha Christie, Queen of the Thrillers, to you. Shy and reserved, she seldom comes out in public. ‘I know many people don’t know me… but they did let me in,’ she added with a smile.

The cast of The Mousetrap, armed with various props, give a special performance at Wormwood Scrubs Prison on Sunday the 15th of March. During the performance two prisoners escaped.

On the 24th of November, The Mousetrap celebrates 15,000 performances and Richard Attenborough celebrates with a photo with 30 of the leading ladies that have appeared in The Mousetrap over the years.

Prime Minister John Major and Mrs. Major with Sir Peter and Lady Saunders attend a party to celebrate The Mousetrap’s 40th anniversary.

A Royal Visit. To celebrate the 50th anniversary HM the Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh attend a Gala performance on the 25th of November 2002.

The Mousetrap played to packed houses for two weeks in the Lyceum Theatre in Shanghai. Subtitles in Chinese ran on either side of the stage throughout the performance. Agatha Christie is ‘bigger than Shakespeare’ in China, and her plays are performed regularly in Chinese, but this was the first time a British Company had been invited

The Mousetrap goes on its first ever tour of the UK playing in over 120 venues across the UK. The Diamond Anniversary Gala Performance with a star-studded cast DIRECTED BY PHYLLIDA LLOYD.

TAMSIN GREIG appears as Mollie Ralston; HUGH BONNEVILLE appears as Giles Ralston; HARRY LLOYD appears as Christopher Wren; JULIE WALTERS appears as Mrs. Boyle; NICHOLAS FARRELL appears as Major Metcalf; MIRANDA HART appears as Miss Casewell; PATRICK STEWART appears as Mr. Paravicini; IAIN GLEN appears as Detective Sergeant Trotter

The Mousetrap performs at the famous Raffles Hotel in Singapore.

The Mousetrap Company wins the first ever West End Bake Off raising £4000 for the Charity Acting for Others.

On the 18th of September 2018 the cast celebrate The Mousetrap passing yet another incredible milestone. 27,500 performances down.

17th May The Mousetrap becomes the first show to re-open to lead the West End out of lockdown

The Mousetrap celebrates it’s 70th year.

See How They Run is released on 9th September. The film is a fun whodunit set around the fictional goings on around the 100th performance of Agatha Christie’s the Mousetrap. Image: Searchlight Pictures.

Lord Willoughby de Broke and Adam Spiegel exchange gifts to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Mousetrap’s move to the St Martin's Theatre. They were joined on stage by the cast, creatives, backstage crew and Front of House teams.

Lord Willoughby de Broke said of this milestone anniversary: “At St. Martin's Theatre, we're thrilled to mark 50 incredible years since 'The Mousetrap' first graced our stage on March 25, 1974. As we celebrate this milestone, we also tip our hats to the 22 years it spent captivating audiences next door at the Ambassadors. Its 72-year run is testament to the enduring charm of Agatha Christie's masterpiece and the dedicated team on stage and behind the scenes. Here's to half a century of theatrical excellence, with 'The Mousetrap' continuing to shine brightly in London's West End