IT holds the record as the world’s longest-running play, having been part a fixture of the London theatre scene for an extraordinary 60 years, and now, for the first time, The Mousetrap is coming to Newcastle.

To celebrate its Diamond Jubilee, the West End legend is heading north on its first ever tour which brings it to the Theatre Royal next year.

The first date of its tour will be performance number 24,587 for the Agatha Christie’s murder mystery, which holds the Guinness World Record for longest continuous run of any show in the world – having been on the stage as long as the Queen has been on the throne, and it will be revealing its famous twist in the tale to local audiences in February 2013.

That the ending’s twist remains a secret is down to the fact that audiences loyally adhere to the request that comes at the end of each performance not to reveal it.

With a title inspired by a line in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Mousetrap was inspired by the real-life story of a boy who died in 1945 while in the foster care of a farmer and his wife.

The play first opened in 1952, starring Richard Attenborough and wife Sheila Sim, at The Ambassadors’ Theatre in London where it played for 21 years before transferring to the adjacent St Martin’s Theatre in 1973 without missing a performance.

And over the years The Mousetrap has become something of a tourist trap, with the old favourite being on the tick-list for many visitors to the capital. Since its opening, 403 actors and 235 understudies have appeared in the play, while its tour cast has yet to be announced.

The Mousetrap will be at Theatre Royal, Newcastle, from February 11-16, 2013. Visit www.theatreroyal.co.uk or call 08448 112-121 for tickets.

Barbara Hodgson