Feature: Agatha Christie's Mousetrap will never make big screen: producer

The provincial theater where the world's longest running play, Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, made its debut, will kick- start a nationwide tour of the famous murder thriller on Tuesday night.

The Theatre Royal in Nottingham earned its place in history when in October, 1952, it hosted the world premiere of The Mousetrap prior to its run in London.

It has continued in the West End, ever since, breaking records for the world's longest theater run.

Although millions of people around the world, from China to North America, have watched stage productions of Christie's legendary 'who done it', a clause introduced by the writer more than 60 years ago has so far prevented a film version of the murder mystery.

And Stephen Waley-Cohen, producer of the Mousetrap for 22 years, told Xinhua Tuesday that a film version will never be made.

In an exclusive interview he said: "It is in its 64th year and I don't see it ever coming to an end, so a film will never been made. It will certainly celebrate its centenary in 2052, though I won't be around then to produce it."

The film rights to The Mousetrap were sold in the 1950s by Agatha Christie, but she very wisely imposed a condition that a film version cannot be made until it closes in the West End, according to Waley-Cohen.

"The story is based on a mythical time in Britain, so the magic remains wherever and whenever the play is performed. There are licensed performances around the world, and whether it is being performed in Mandarin in Shanghai or performed in the U.S., it still captivates audiences. Every director and every actor or actress brings something different to the performance. I have watched performances in various local languages and the impact is just the same, simply amazing."

Stephen Waley-Cohen is only the second producer of the Mousetrap, taking over from Peter Saunders who worked as producer with Agatha Christie and spent over 40 years in that role.

Audiences are even urged to keep quiet about the dramatic ending to ensure the experience is not spoiled for future Agatha Christie fans.

It means that while the Theatre Royal in Nottingham will play to a full house on Tuesday night, the show will - as usual - be performed at St Martin's theater in London, it's home since 1974 when a larger theater was needed to accomodate growing audiences.

The tour of 26 British theaters starting in Nottingham is part of the ongoing Diamond jubilee tour which started in 2012 to mark 60 years of Mousetrap.

Lucy Thomas from Nottingham's Theatre Royal told Xinhua: "We are delighted to see The Mousetrap return to the same theater in Nottingham where the pre-London tour began back on October 6, 1952. It was, famously, after the first night at Nottingham's Theatre Royal that Agatha Christie told Richard Attenborough, the leading actor in the original production, that she thought they should have a 'nice little run'. The play is famous around the world now, of course, but still holds a very special place here at the Theatre Royal Nottingham."

Christie made a prediction that the run would last for eight months.

The Mousetrap began life as a short radio play, entitled Three Blind Mice, and broadcast in 1947 in honour of Queen Mary, the consort of King George V. Endit