PRESS RELEASE – Friday 9 November
THE MOUSETRAP TOUR
Adam Spiegel and Stephen Waley-Cohen
- AGATHA CHRISTIE’S RECORD-BREAKING MURDER MYSTERY THE MOUSETRAP ANNOUNCES MAJOR NATIONAL TOUR FOR 2019 FEATURING ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES STAR GWYNETH STRONG AS MRS BOYLE
- OPENING AT GUILDFORD YVONNE ARNAUD IN JANUARY 2019, THE LEGENDARY WHODUNNIT IS EMBARKING ON AN EXTENSIVE TOUR OF THE UK WHILE CONTINUING ITS RECORD-BREAKING RUN IN THE WEST END
- RUNS AT EXETER NORTHCOTT MAY 6 – 11, 2019.
- IMAGES OF GWYNETH STRONG AS MRS BOYLE ARE AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD HERE
The Mousetrap, the legendary whodunnit from Queen of Crime, Dame Agatha Christie, today announces a major national tour opening in January 2019 starring Gwyneth Strong (Only Fools and Horses) as Mrs Boyle, directed by Gareth Armstrong.
This unstoppable West End hit has been delighting theatregoers for 67 years with its macabre murder mystery. Following a record-breaking 60th anniversary debut tour in 2012, this timeless thriller The Mousetrap returns by popular demand, opening at Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre on 29 January 2019 launching an extensive new tour that will travel the length and breadth of the country giving audiences all across the UK the opportunity to discover theatre’s best kept secret.
Following Guildford, The Mousetrap will tour to Northampton Royal & Derngate, Sheffield Lyceum, Colchester Mercury, Southport Theatre, Sunderland Empire, High Wycombe Swan, Bromley Churchill , Cheltenham Everyman, Oxford Playhouse, Crewe Lyceum, Coventry Belgrade, Crawley Hawth, Darlington Hippodrome, Exeter Northcott, Salford Lowry, York Grand Opera House, Edinburgh Playhouse, Liverpool Empire, Southend Palace, Nottingham Theatre Royal, Bristol Hippodrome, Stoke Regent, Brighton Theatre Royal, Norwich Theatre Royal, Malvern Festival, Bournemouth Pavilion, Dartford Orchard, Eastbourne Devonshire Park and Cardiff New Theatre. Further venues to be announced.
Gwyneth Strong will perform as Mrs Boyle for 24 weeks through to Norwich, with further star casting to be announced. The cast also includes David Alcock (Mr Paravacini), Geoff Arnold (Detective Sgt. Trotter), Nick Biadon (Giles Ralston), Lewis Chandler (Christopher Wren), John Griffiths (Major Metcalf), Harriett Hare (Mollie Ralston) and Saskia Vaigncourt-Strallen (Miss Caswell).
Gwyneth Strong is best known for her role in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses in which she starred in the role of Cassandra. The role gained Gwyneth mainstream recognition and she appeared in the hit comedy show as well as several Christmas specials between 1989 and 2003. More recently, she joined the cast of EastEnders in the role of Geraldine Clough. Other television credits include The Great Train Robbery, Silent Witness, Casualty, Doctors and Murder in Suburbia. Gwyneth appeared in the UK tour of Our House, in which she played Kath Casey. Her stage credits also include Stand (Oxford Playhouse/Battersea Arts) Monkey Bars (Unicorn Theatre), A Round-Heeled Woman (Aldwych), When You Cure Me (Bush Theatre), Ancient Lights (Hampstead Theatre) and Care (Royal Court).
First seen in Nottingham in 1952 starring Richard Attenborough and his wife Sheila Sim, The Mousetrap went on to become the world’s longest running stage production following its West End transfer to The Ambassadors in 1952 and St Martins in 1973 where it has played ever since, continuing a record-breaking run with over 27,500 performances in London so far. The beloved murder mystery returns to the road following the success of the first ever UK tour in 2012.
The Mousetrap continues its open-ended run at St. Martin’s Theatre, London.
Monday 6 – Saturday 11 May 2019
NORTHCOTT THEATRE, EXETER
https://exeternorthcott.co.uk
01392 72 63 63
-ENDS-
Notes to editors
BIOGRAPHIES
Gareth Armstrong has worked across the world as both a director and actor. He was an Artistic Director of Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre where he directed classics including Shakespeare, Shaw and Chekov and modern works from Coward to Stoppard. He is a founding director of the Made in Wales Stage Company and previously an Associate Artist Director at the Salisbury Playhouse. Gareth most recently directed Hugh Whitemore’s Sand in the Sandwiches seen in the West End and on UK tour. He has written and performed his own solo play, Shylock, which premiered at the Salisbury Playhouse and toured internationally for ten years.
David Alcock is the recipient of the South African Fleur du Cap and Vita Life theatre awards. He has performed in many production at the Nuffield Theatre in Southampton, including Waiting for Godot, Twelfth Night, The Tempest and Our Country’s Good. His stage credits also include The Taming of the Shrew (Bristol Old Vic) and Kiss Me Kate (Pitlochry Festival Theatre). His touring credits include Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and South Pacific.
Geoff Arnold’s theatre credits include Pride and Prejudice (Regent’s Park Theatre), Catch 22 (Northern Stage UK Tour), Mansfield Park (Theatre Royal) and Molly (Pleasance Courtyard). He has also appeared on screen in Cold Blow Lane.
Nick Biadon most recently performed in the UK tour of Still Alice. His stage credits including Macbeth (Catford Broadway), ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore (Tristan Bates) and The Bacchae (Lazarus Theatre).
Lewis Chandler is delighted to be making his UK tour debut with The Mousetrap. His previous theatre credits include Foul Pages (Hope Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Creation Theatre) and The Devil is an Ass (Mercurius Theatre). Lewis played the title character in Film Noir parody Trimble which was nominated for a BBC Audio Drama Award.
John Griffiths’ West End theatre credits include The Sound of Music (London Palladium), The Woman in White (Palace Theatre), The Royal Family (Haymarket), The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s) and Oliver! (Aldwych). He has also appeared in the national tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as well as Volpone at the National Theatre and The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kiss Me Kate and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
Harriett Hare has performed on stage in The White Carnation (Finborough & Jermyn Street Theatre), Look Back in Anger (Reading Rep Theatre Company), Body Language (Suffolk Summer Theatre) and All Creatures Great and Small (UK tour). Harriett has also voiced for gaming and animation franchises and international campaigns for well-known brands.
Saskia Vaigncourt-Strallen has performed on stage in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lazarus Theatre Company), All the Angels (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Diary of a Teenage Girl (Southwark Playhouse), Scrooge (London Palladium) and the national tour of Oklahoma!. She also appeared in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
LISTINGS
TOUR DATES
Tuesday 29 January – Saturday 2 February 2019
YVONNE ARNAUD, GUILDFORD
https://www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk
Box office: 01483 44 00 00
Monday 4 – Saturday 9 February 2019
ROYAL & DERNGATE, NORTHAMPTON
www.royalandderngate.co.uk
01604 624811
Monday 11 – Saturday 16 February 2019
SHEFFIELD LYCEUM
www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
0114 249 6000
Monday 18 – Saturday 23 February 2019
MERCURY THEATRE, COLCHESTER
www.mercurytheatre.co.uk
01206 573948
Monday 25 – Wednesday 27 February 2019
SOUTHPORT THEATRE AND CONVENTION CENTRE
www.atgtickets.com/venues/southport-theatre-and-convention-centre
0844 871 3021
Thursday 28 February – Saturday 2 March 2019
SUNDERLAND EMPIRE
www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire
0844 871 3022
Monday 4 – Saturday 9 March 2019
WYCOMBE SWAN THEATRE, HIGH WYCOMBE
https://wycombeswan.co.uk
01494 512 000
Tuesday 12 – Saturday 16 March 2019
CHURCHILL THEATRE, BROMLEY
https://churchilltheatre.co.uk
020 3285 6000
Monday 18 – Saturday 23 March 2019
EVERYMAN THEATRE, CHELTENHAM
www.everymantheatre.org.uk
01242 572573
Monday 25 – Saturday 30 March 2019
OXFORD PLAYHOUSE
www.oxfordplayhouse.com
01865 305305
Monday 1 – Saturday 6 April 2019
CREWE LYCEUM
https://crewelyceum.co.uk
01270 368 242
Monday 8 – Saturday 13 April 2019
BELGRADE THEATRE, COVENTRY
www.belgrade.co.uk
024 7655 3055
Monday 22 – Saturday 27 April 2019
HAWTH THEATRE, CRAWLEY
www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/The-Hawth
01293 553636
Monday 29 April – Saturday 4 May 2019
DARLINGTON HIPPODROME
www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk
01325 405405
Monday 6 – Saturday 11 May 2019
NORTHCOTT THEATRE, EXETER
https://exeternorthcott.co.uk
01392 72 63 63
Monday 13 – Saturday 18 May 2019
LOWRY THEATRE, SALFORD
www.thelowry.com
0843 208 6000
Monday 20 – Saturday 25 May 2019
GRAND OPERA HOUSE, YORK
https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york
0844 871 3024
Monday 27 – Wednesday 29 May 2019
EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE
www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse
0844 871 3014
Thursday 30 May – Saturday 1 June 2019
LIVERPOOL EMPIRE
www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire
0844 871 3017
Monday 3 – Saturday 8 June 2019
SOUTHEND PALACE THEATRE
https://southendtheatres.org.uk
01702 351135
Monday 17 – Saturday 22 June 2019
NOTTINGHAM THEATRE ROYAL
https://trch.co.uk
0115 989 5555
Monday 24 – Wednesday 26 June 2019
BRISTOL HIPPODROME
https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome/
0844 871 3012
Thursday 27 – Saturday 29 June 2019
STOKE REGENT THEATRE
https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/regent-theatre/
0844 871 7649
Monday 1 – Saturday 6 July 2019
BRIGHTON THEATRE ROYAL
https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton/
0844 871 7650
Monday 8 – Saturday 13 July 2019
NORWICH THEATRE ROYAL
www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk/
01603 630 000
Monday 15 – Saturday 20 July 2019
FESTIVAL THEATRE, MALVERN
https://www.malvern-theatres.co.uk/
01684 892 277
Monday 5 – Saturday 10 August 2019
BOURNEMOUTH PAVILION
http://www.bournemouthpavilion.co.uk/
0844 576 3000
Monday 16 – Saturday 21 September
DARTFORD ORCHARD THEATRE
https://orchardtheatre.co.uk/
01322 220 000
Monday 23 – Saturday 28 September 2019
EASTBOURNE DEVONSHIRE PARK THEATRE
https://www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk/venue/devonshire-park-theatre
01323 412 000
Monday 30 September – Saturday 5 October 2019
NEW THEATRE, CARDIFF
www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk/
02920 878 889
FURTHER VENUES TO BE ANNOUNCED
West End:
THE MOUSETRAP
St Martin’s Theatre
West St, London WC2H 9NZ
www.the-mousetrap.co.uk
Box office 020 7836 1443
