The Mousetrap: Agatha Christie’s West End hit to make Broadway debut after 70 years - The Guardian

The world’s longest-running play, The Mousetrap, is to yet marque its Broadway debut. The announcement was made connected Friday to people the 70th day of the London accumulation of Agatha Christie’s whodunnit.

The lone surviving portion of the archetypal acceptable from 1952, a mantelpiece clock, volition beryllium lent from London for the tally successful New York erstwhile it opens successful 2023. The play volition beryllium co-produced by The Mousetrap’s UK producer, Adam Spiegel, and US shaper Kevin McCollum, whose credits see Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights and the Broadway outings of the British am-dram spoof The Play That Goes Wrong and the philharmonic Six.

The Mousetrap 70th day cartoon by Nick Newman. Photograph: Nick Newman

McCollum said that Christie’s execution enigma “changed fashionable theatre” and had agelong been a landmark attraction for US visitors to London. Theatregoers are encouraged to support concealed the individuality of the murderer successful the play, successful which a radical of strangers are snowed successful astatine a distant guesthouse.

Roughly a 3rd of the play’s West End audiences are believed to beryllium overseas tourists. He added: “I’m excited for the immense Christie fanbase successful North America, and for the acting institution successful New York who volition articulation the esteemed ranks of The Mousetrap alumni.” Casting has not yet been confirmed.

Christie, known arsenic the “queen of crime”, had her enactment staged connected Broadway a fistful of times including The Fatal Alibi, based connected her caller The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, successful 1932. Her courtroom play Witness for the Prosecution, present staged astatine County Hall successful London, ran from 1954 to 1956 successful New York.

But her astir celebrated play, which starred the joined actors Richard Attenborough and Sheila Sim erstwhile it opened successful 1952, ne'er made it to New York. Spiegel said: “After the longest retired of municipality try-out successful history, The Mousetrap is yet acceptable to transportation to Broadway.” He added that the London accumulation “is much fashionable than ever, and has shown a existent resilience since Covid, with immense numbers of Americans coming to spot it, and truthful it felt similar it was clip to beryllium front-footed and instrumentality it to Broadway”.

The Mousetrap has besides released a peculiar cartoon, commemorating 70 years since it opened successful London, drawn by Private Eye’s Nick Newman. The amusement has been performed astir 29,000 times successful London, its continuous tally interrupted lone by Covid. A 70th day circuit opened astatine Nottingham Theatre Royal successful September.