Producer Brian Fenty has announced that Nicholas Bailey and Susan Penhaligon will star in the 75th anniversary UK tour of Agatha Christie’s legendary thriller The Mousetrap.
Bailey will take on the role of Major Metcalf, while Penhaligon will play Mrs Boyle in the touring production, which opens in September 2026 and continues into 2027.
The anniversary tour forms part of wider celebrations marking 75 years of The Mousetrap, with further events and announcements planned throughout the milestone year.
Nicholas Bailey is best known to television audiences for playing Dr Anthony Trueman in BBC soap EastEnders, a role he most recently reprised in 2025. His extensive theatre credits include King Lear at the National Theatre, Dreamgirls in the West End and Macbeth at Mercury Theatre, Colchester.
Susan Penhaligon first gained widespread recognition for her performance in Bouquet of Barbed Wire before becoming a household name as Helen Barker opposite Dame Judi Dench in A Fine Romance. Her stage career includes appearances in productions of The Real Thing, Three Sisters, Of Mice and Men and touring productions of Cabaret and And Then There Were None.
Full casting and the complete creative team for the tour will be announced at a later date.
Since its premiere in 1952, The Mousetrap has captivated audiences around the world with its enduring mystery and closely guarded twist ending. The production recently celebrated its 30,000th performance in the West End and received a Guinness World Records certificate recognising it as the longest-running theatrical production in history.
The story begins with a shocking murder in London. As seven strangers gather in the remote Monkswell Manor guesthouse during a snowstorm, the arrival of a police sergeant with disturbing news reveals that danger may already be lurking inside.
Directed by Hannah Chissick, the production is produced by Brian Fenty.
The 75th anniversary tour will visit venues across the UK and Ireland, beginning at The Alexandra, Birmingham, before travelling to cities including Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Southampton, Plymouth and York.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
