Nicholas Bailey and Susan Penhaligon to star in The Mousetrap’s 75th anniversary UK tour
by Best of Theatre Staff on Wednesday 22 July 2026, 10:25 am in Cast Changes and Announcements
Nicholas Bailey and Susan Penhaligon will star as Major Metcalf and Mrs Boyle in the 75th anniversary UK tour of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, the world’s longest-running play, opening in September 2026.
Producer Brian Fenty has announced that Nicholas Bailey and Susan Penhaligon will star as Major Metcalf and Mrs Boyle respectively in the 75th anniversary UK tour of Agatha Christie’s iconic thriller and the world’s longest-running play, The Mousetrap. The tour begins in September 2026 and runs through to 2027, forming part of wider plans to celebrate the show’s milestone year.
Nicholas Bailey is one of Britain’s best-known television actors, recognised by millions for his portrayal of Dr Anthony Trueman in EastEnders, a role he most recently reprised in 2025. His theatre credits include King Lear (National Theatre), Dreamgirls (West End) and Julius Caesar (Royal Exchange), while his screen work spans Coronation Street, Casualty, Death in Paradise and Holby City.
Susan Penhaligon first came to prominence in the landmark television drama Bouquet of Barbed Wire before becoming a household name as Helen Barker opposite Dame Judi Dench in the hit sitcom A Fine Romance. Her many stage credits include The Real Thing, Three Sisters and Of Mice and Men, alongside UK tours of Cabaret and The Importance of Being Earnest.
Full casting and creative team for the tour will be announced in due course. Since 1952, The Mousetrap has captivated the world as the great British murder mystery: a shocking murder rattles London, and a remote country guesthouse welcomes seven strangers seeking refuge — until a police sergeant battles through a deadly snowstorm with a warning no one expects, and it becomes clear the threat is already within their walls.
Earlier this year the play celebrated its 30,000th performance in the West End and was presented with a Guinness World Records certificate for the longest theatrical run. It continues at London’s St Martin’s Theatre, now booking into its 75th year in 2027. The tour and the London production are directed by Hannah Chissick, with casting by Denise Silvey. The tour opens at Birmingham’s The Alexandra from 3 to 12 September 2026 before travelling across the UK and Ireland.