London’s ‘Mousetrap’ just keeps on catching tourists

The producer of Agatha Christie’s thriller “The Mousetrap” predicted Monday that the world’s longest-running play would never close.

As the classic whodunit embarked on its 55th year, producer Stephen Waley-Cohen said he couldn’t see an end in sight for the popular London tourist draw.

“On first night, Agatha Christie said she thought it might get a nice little run. Now it’s an institution,” he said. “I don’t see why it shouldn’t run forever.”

London theater audiences are notoriously fickle but Waley-Cohen said that “The Mousetrap” had never suffered at the box office.

“We have not had a losing week in 55 years. Half the audience are British, a quarter are American and the rest come from around the world.”

The play was originally called “Three Blind Mice” and was written by Christie in 1947 as a 30-minute radio play to celebrate the then Queen Mary’s 80th birthday. “It has survived because it is a bloody good play,” said Oscar-winning director Richard Attenborough, who was the play’s first star, along with his wife, Sheila Sim.

One item still remains from the 1952 set: The clock on the mantelpiece has survived more than 22,500 performances. The original revolver is in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.