A Very Old Mousetrap

On my computer monitor is a post-it note with subjects for the blog. Today's entry is the last topic on the post-it note... but as we are only 4 days away from our departure it is very likely that my next post will happen after the trip has commenced.

When we first looked at the material for our Globus package tour, the information on London suggested taking in a West End Show one evening. So we started looking at all the possibilities, which was quite a few - there are close to 50 theatres in London's famous West End. As far as shows playing there is everything from well known musicals like The Lion King, Carousel, Grease, and Hello Dolly; to comedies like As You Like It and Much Ado About Nothing; and even serious dramas like A Doll's House, Hamlet, and A Streetcar Named Desire. But almost by accident I came across The Mousetrap.

The Mousetrap is a mystery written for the stage by Agatha Christie. Beth loves mystery novels, and has enjoyed Agatha Christie's work as long as I've known her. But the real attraction of this production is that it is a Guinness World Record holder. This production is the longest running show of any kind in the world. It has been performed continuously since 1953 - which currently puts it at 56 years and running! In that time there have been over 23,000 performances. Currently it is playing at the St. Martin's Theatre, which has been its home for the last 34 years.

I remember seeing something about this incredible piece of theatrical history in a newspaper or magazine many years ago. This bit of trivia stuck with me as I recognized the name The Mousetrap immediately when I came across it on a London Theatres website. We had to wait to purchase tickets because they were only guaranteeing performances up to a certain date. Once tickets became available for the time we're in London we grabbed a couple right away. Actually I ended up grabbing 4 by accident (not paying close enough attention when doing the online purchase), but the friendly folks at St. Martin's Theatre were happy to refund us for the 2 unwanted tickets with no hassles, and very expediently.

So Beth and I will be watching theatrical history, enjoying an enduring plot line, and spending a lot less money on tickets than some of the other West End shows. Some day we would like to go to New York, and visit Broadway... and many of these same West End shows are sure to be playing there... but The Mousetrap is unique to London's West End and that was the ticket for us!