Suspect everyone as The Mousetrap hits road
TELEVISION star Susan Penhaligon (Bouquet of Barbed Wire, A Fine Romance, Emmerdale) will join the cast of The Mousetrap as Mrs Boyle this summer as Agatha Christie’s legendary whodunnit continues on a major UK tour – including Llandudno’s Venue Cymru next month.
Penhaligon took over the role from Gwyneth Strong (Only Fools and Horses) from July 15 at Malvern Festival Theatre, through to and including Birmingham Alexandra Theatre until November 16.
Directed by Gareth Armstrong, timeless thriller The Mousetrap returned to the road by popular demand in January and has earned standout reviews from critics and public alike as it continues to visit more than 40 venues.
The Mousetrap has been delighting audiences for 67 years and the identity of the murderer remains theatre’s best kept secret. This is the second major national tour of the smash-hit murder mystery following a record-breaking 60th anniversary debut in 2012.
Penhaligon is well-known for her role in the ITV drama Bouquet of Barbed Wire, and for playing Helen Barker in the ITV sitcom A Fine Romance.
She also played Jean Hope in UK soap Emmerdale. She has toured the UK extensively with stage productions including The Importance of being Earnest, Cabaret, Rehearsal for Murder, And Then There Were None, The Constant Wife, Verdict and Dangerous Obsessions.
Stage credits also include Caste (Finborough Theatre), Murder on Air (Theatre Royal Windsor), Broken Glass (West Yorkshire Playhouse), The Compliant Love (Palace Theatre) and The Cherry Orchard (Royal Exchange). Penhaligon has also appeared on film in Top Dog, Citizen Versus Kane, Say that You Love Me, Say Hello to Yesterday and Private Road.
The cast of The Mousetrap also includes David Alcock (Mr Paravicini), Geoff Arnold (Detective Sgt Trotter),Nick Biadon (Giles Ralston), Lewis Chandler (Christopher Wren), John Griffiths (Major Metcalf), Harriett Hare (Mollie Ralston) and Saskia VaigncourtStrallen (Miss Casewell).
After her run at Malvern Festival Theatre ends on Saturday, Penhaligon will play Mrs Boyle at Blackpool Grand, Barnstaple Queens, Bournemouth Pavilion, Llandudno Venue Cymru, Milton Keynes, Woking New Victoria, Torquay Princess, Dartford Orchard, Eastbourne Devonshire Park, Cardiff New Theatre, Chesterfield Pomegranate, Portsmouth Kings, Windsor Theatre Royal, Glasgow Theatre Royal, Peterborough New Theatre and Birmingham Alexandra. Further venues are to be announced in due course.
Gwyneth Strong performed the role at Crewe Lyceum 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 and Norwich Theatre Royal.
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 more than 27,500 performances in London so far.
The beloved murder mystery returns to the road following the success of its first ever UK tour in 2012.
The Mousetrap continues its open-ended run at St. Martin’s Theatre, London.