Billed as the longest running stage show anywhere in the world – and who’s going to argue that – this show has been entertaining audiences for an incredible six decades. Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is now in its 60^th proud-year of production, and has more than 24,000 performances under the belt. In special celebration of this glittering milestone, The Mousetrap is taking off on a unique Diamond Anniversary tour around England, Scotland and Wales during 2012. But worry not you admiring London fans, for the show continues at its “permanent home” at St. Martin’s Theatre too. Bookings are open throughout 2012.

The Mousetrap – Proud History and Statistics

The Mousetrap began life as a radio play in 1947, but it started with a different title “Three Blind Mice”.

For over half its history on the stage – 35 years to be precise -The Mousetrap has been playing at St. Martin’s Theatre. The show is synonymous with its landmark home. Consider too that 382 actors and actresses have appeared in the play thus far. Some have even appeared in the Guinness Book of Records. Take David Raven for example – he has 4575 performances as show character Major Metcalf, under his belt.

The Mousetrap first opened in London’s West End in1952, since which time it has been running continuously. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II attended the landmark 50th Anniversary Royal Gala Performance, on the 25^th November 2002. Also present for this auspicious occasion was Lord Attenborough, himself one of the original actors from the show.

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Overview – The Mousetrap

The Mousetrap stage show started out as a short story, which in turn based itself on a radio play. Agatha Christie requested that her story not appear print form for as long as it was playing at theatres in London’s West End.

Honourably The Mousetrap still awaits release in print at home in the UK. It has however been published in the United States in the 1950 collection of Three Blind Mice and Other Stories.

After Agatha Christie wrote the play, she bequeathed the rights to her grandson Matthew Prichard. In order to further protect the stage show, Christie insisted that only one version appear each year outside the West End. No film version will be entertained, until at least six months have elapsed after the final closing of the West End Show. Seems like our Dame Agatha knew what she was about, when she wrote The Mousetrap as a birthday present for her grandson!

Sworn to Secrecy

 We are not going to spoil the fun and entertainment value of this fine show, by telling you the plot. Suffice it to say that The Mousetrap has earned its legendary status thanks to fascinating plots, and a mighty fine reception from the theatre-going public. How can so many devotees be wrong?

There’s definitely no rush just yet. Although sooner rather than later you must buy your ticket even if it’s just out of plain curiosity to see what the world’s longest running stage show is all about. It’s really a matter of national pride! Get your tickets for The Mousetrap now!

If you react the way most of us do to the mere mention of the name Alfred Hitchcock, you are probably already sporting goose pimples! His knack of continually twisting and turning the plot has all but the cleverest audiences guessing right through to the climax. The stage show The 39 Steps is somewhat different. That’s because it takes a hilarious look at the Hitchcock spy classic of the same name, and has the audience in stiches. That has to be better than being “stitched up” as many of Alfred’s characters ended up!

Brief Plot – The 39 Steps

Take one very handsome hero and name him Richard Hannay. Add a stiff-upper-lip attitude, a pencil moustache and a dollop of British bravado. Picture a team of bungling British Bobbies. Throw in some dastardly murders and secret agents with the best double-crossing techniques around, and you have a brief outline of what to expect next. Oh, we must not forget seductive and alluring women.

What transpires is now showing at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly. The 39 Steps is a 100-minute escape in to a bizarre tale of murder accusations and cover-ups.

It’s over to you to book your ticket for a great evening’s entertainment! The production is both electrifying and comical, and has already earned The 39 Steps an Olivier Award for Best New Comedy.

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Our Review – The 39 Steps

The 39 Steps is a crackerjack of a stage show. It hasn’t taken much tweaking to convert the screen-version of the same name to a whole bundle of laughs. Producer Patrick Barlow relies on just four actors and some basic props. Then he adds puppetry from the shadows to emulate glamorous secret agents of the female variety, and hell-bent on horrible threats to national security.

Somehow, hero Richard Hannay manages a daring escape from a fast-moving Flying Scotsman. Then, some interesting escapades on Edinburgh’s Forth Bridge follow.

Action throughout is guaranteed, although this hilarious stage show favours humour when compared to the more serious screen version. This makes for a very pleasant evening’s entertainment – don’t worry though, the “who really dunnit” mystery does prevail!

Make the Next Step – It’s a Right Rollicking Matter!

It certainly isn’t slapstick comedy fortunately, but The 39 Steps stage show is seriously amusing and often hilarious. Endless action and countless plots prevail, and there is a definite spy versus spy theme to the entire show. Some of it would seem ridiculously stupid were it not so funny!

Cads abound, as do flat-footed Bobbies. Threats to national security are ever-present too, so it is all down to our intrepid hero – perhaps read cad – Richard Hannay to save the nation. But first he has to extricate himself from the murder accusations stacking up against him. Can you afford to miss what follows? Get you tickets for the 39 steps now!

First, they have enjoyed an incredible record-breaking UK tour. Then, they starred on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing too. Now, Midnight Tango starring Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace will be displaying their awesome tango skills at London’s West End Aldwych Theatre. Better be quick, they are playing for 10 weeks only, having premiered on January 20^th.

If you want to see the stage set alight with breath-taking action, then don’t miss this pulsating extravaganza. And this show is so well produced that you’ll be thinking you have just arrived in far off Buenos Aires – leaving you and your partner ready for a night of red-blooded Latino dancing!

Brief Outline of Midnight Tango

The scene is set in a late-night bar in downtown Buenos Aires. Ten of the finest tango dancers in the world join our main characters.

Prepare yourself for a spectacular journey into the deepest recesses of this intoxicating city. Join them, as they encounter joy and jealousy, danger and excitement as well as pain and passion too. Oh, we forgot to add in a dash of temptation for good measure, very luring, know what I mean, wink, wink!

The evening is about to explode around you, but fret not, Vincent and Flavia will take you by the hand on a magical tour into the very depth of your soul. Your pulse will be racing flat out before this show is over. But your eyes will remain firmly fixed on the dancers that touch the very essence of our being.

A clear story emerges during the both predictable and dramatic two 45-minute acts in Midnight Tango.

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Our Review of Midnight Tango

Released from the somewhat limiting routines of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, these two dancing stars form a class act between them, not forgetting their troop of 10 in support. We are of course referring to Vincent and Flavia, who just seem to exude passion and flare through their every move.

The action in Midnight Tango is non-stop and the pace blistering, as 30 tangos are brought to focus superbly by the entire cast. The tempo is dangerously high throughout, as the outstanding dancing captivates the audience.

A gentle hint of comedy seems to float in the background throughout this fine show too. If you’re not gripped from start to finish either you fell asleep, or you’re in the wrong theatre!

Ready to: Cha, Cha, Cha?

Everybody admires a fast-moving tango. Some of us may even have dared to attempt the manoeuvre ourselves. No matter, this show is going to have you wanting to learn the tango whatever it takes.

No other dance has the sheer charisma and flare to capture our imaginations. Bodies bent backwards in seemingly impossible positions, right arms tightly gripped and pointing forward. The dancing that follows next has to be pure poetry in motion. If you haven’t seen Midnight Tango, do yourself a favour and grab your tickets right away.

You need to hurry, because the six-month season of Gershwin’s Crazy for You musical finishes at London’s Novello Theatre on 17^th March. It’s the story of a 1930’s playboy, whose ambition is to break away from pin-stripe suits and boring banking, and dance the night away.

But, his job sends him on a visit to Nevada to foreclose on a mortgage held by failing Gaiety Theatre. Not that simple though. Our budding dancer falls head-over-heals in love with another dancer, who plies her trade at, you guessed it, the Gaiety Theatre!

Brief Outline of the Show

In summary, Crazy for You is a musical comedy based on a book written by Ken Ludwig, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and music from her famous husband, George

With the hauntingly beautiful Gershwin songs and music grabbing your ears each time they strike up, who could fail to be enticed by this seriously feel-good theatrical experience. Crazy for You is bound to play on in your mind long after the final curtain.

Our intrepid banker turned-dancer Bobby Child pretends to be a renowned theatre producer named Zangler from New York. He develops the idea of staging a show to save the Gaiety Theatre. Unfortunately for Child, the real Zangler turns up unexpectedly with two women – as in Bobby’s mother and the new love of his life!

Will love overcome the obstacles that seem to be dogging Bobby’s dance career? Maybe it is back to the boring banking world, who knows? To have these questions answered you will need to get your ticket.

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Our Review of Crazy for You

The stage show Crazy for You is packed full of big hits – who could ask for anything more? But is provides more anyway. What better way to escape the current economic woes than spending three hours watching showgirls and cowboys, singing and dancing like there’s no tomorrow.

Crazy for You is a truly five-star, all singing and dancing musical spectacular. It is suitable for audiences of all ages too. Better be quick, this one dances its way out of London on 17^th March!

I Got Rhythm, Have You?

This glittering glamorous stage production brings every appreciative audience to their feet show after show. You shouldn’t miss it. In fact it’s likely the most sublime song and dance extravaganza you could see anytime soon. You will leave the theatre wrapped in one heck of a feel-good factor too.

Crazy for You is the perfect family entertainment. All will find it sensationally irresistible. They won’t take their eyes off the stage for one single moment either. Get your tickets for Crazy for You while you can!

Remember the carefree swinging sixties, when the milkshake machine man loaded a new record into the jukebox every week? Well, even if you don’t you’ll know all about those immortal lyrics, Let’s Twist Again, Half Way to Paradise, and The Locomotion, are itching for you to hear them live. Now you can do just that down at the London Playhouse Theatre, in London’s West End. Introducing Dreamboats and Petticoats…

So What’s the Story?

The story line for Dreamboats and Petticoats is as simple as those innocent days, when a boy like Cliff or Elvis could stroll down to a recording studio, and become an instant star. The musical is set in 1961, as talented hopefuls Norman and Bobby compete in a national song-writing competition – and for the hearts of their hopefully adoring fans. Gorgeous Laura is looking like becoming just another groupie. But Wait! She’s an ace on the guitar and that’s just what the two boys were waiting for.

Birth of Dreamboats and Petticoats

Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran conceived Dreamboats and Petticoats, that’s set in the years 1957 through to 1963. The first performance was in Bromley’s Churchill Theatre in February 2009. After that, it went on tour to audience raves and widespread critical acclaim. The show played to packed seats at the Savoy from July to September, before settling into the Playhouse Theatre where it looks set for a long run.

The impresarios say over a million people have already watched the show, and that there’s no sign of interest tailing off. Could this be the next one for the record books?

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A Magnetic Attraction

Director Bob Tomson’s latest musical production simply throbs with joyful, youthful flair. The setting in a nightclub afire with period posters perfects the illusion that the silver-haired audience are back in their youth again. That’s the perfect recipe for a successful musical with over forty songs – so it doesn’t really matter if the plot’s a little thin.

The lead singers bring every number to full life in three dimensions. The real magic begins when the audience joins in. Suddenly, everybody morphs back into youthful forgetfulness, when yesterday never happened; tonight’s a gas, and tomorrow never comes. No wonder this new show is shaking London like a storm.

Who’s in the Audience?

More than a sprinkling of today’s now generation, including a surprising number of London’s younger financiers sans white shirts and ties. Once this show gets near you it’s easy to be hooked. Miss it at your peril. You’ll be laughed right out of town. Book tickets for Dreamboats and Petticoats now!

The musical Chicago takes place in the gangster-ruled 1920’s, and the backdrop is the prohibition American City of the same name. Dangerous times are these as our story, a satire on corruption, looks at the crooked administration of criminal justice so prevalent at the time. Why, it even begs the concept of, dare we say it, celebrity criminals! Action and drama go side by side and the music is real swell too Babe!

Story Line: Chicago

Set in the twilight world of gangster-infested Chicago in the 1920’s, the plot revolves around showgirl Roxie Hart. Somewhat unfortunately, Roxie has a nasty murder charge pending, and she doesn’t want this “trivial” matter getting in the way of her ambitious career. For the record, she knocked-off her lover and nightclub regular Fred Casey, and now she’s trying to cover it up by blaming others.

The show opens with one of the other main characters Velma, who is singing the song All That Jazz, which portraits her double slaying of her husband and her sister, when she found them in bed together.

For the rest, this musical covers all manner of intrigue, competition, plotting and jail scenes. Oh, and don’t forget music – fabulous memorable themes which will play on in your mind for ever.

A Brief History of Chicago, the Musical

The stage-show Chicago, now playing at the Garrick Theatre, has to be one of the sassiest, yet most stylish musicals on the London stage. It has been around for a long time too, having first opened in London in 1979 at the Cambridge Theatre, where it ran for 600 shows.

In 1997, a revival opened at the Adelphi Theatre and continued there for a further nine years. Then, in 2006 it moved back to the Cambridge Theatre, where it closed in August last year. The Garrick Theatre show seems set for a long run too.

Did you know that the musical Chicago has played in the Dutch, Swedish, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian and French languages? Naturally, it is the English version of this great Broadway Hit that has remained so very popular.

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Our Review of Chicago the London Show

Tickets to the stage-show Chicago offer a high-kicking performance by a string of stars on London’s Garrick Theatre stage. The show is simply unmissable even if you have seen the film, because you will feel that you are part of the plot and even involved in the action. It’s daring, exhilarating and very fast moving!

Come On Babe!

Chicago is one of London’s most popular and thrilling smash hit musicals .So why haven’t you seen it yet? It would be simply criminal to miss this stage-show, starring a smooth-talking lawyer, a seedy nightclub dancer and a complete prison cellblock of sin – enough to make a priest blush in his confessional booth! OK, so it has a three-hour running time but you can treat the entire family, as long as they are aged 12 or older (it’s the language and the raunchy scenes…). Get tickets to Chicago the Musical now!

As you head through darkened city streets towards the theatre where a fantastic cast is warming up for another great evening’s entertainment, share a thought for the tousle-headed boy you might see sheltering in a doorway. For that is Oliver. The boy this show is all about, and as he passes you his begging bowl he’s really saying “please sir (or miss), can I have some more?”

Oliver – What’s the Buzz?

You will certainly need to see this show several times to absorb all the charm. Fortunately, it’s on tour right now and will be visiting Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Dublin, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Plymouth, and Southampton right through to the first quarter of 2013. So everybody gets a better chance to see more great theatre now!

This iconic tale of persistence is set in 19^th Century London, a forbidding world of cruel workhouses and terrifying pea-soup smog. At first, Oliver seems like any other street kid – but you soon discover that he’s scared of no authority. Inevitably, he ends up on the run, where he learns the art of pick-pocketing on behalf of other criminals. A kindly gentleman takes pity on him when he’s ill. But trouble’s still not far away!

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A Famous History

Charles Dickens wrote his novel Oliver Twist at a time when Victorian England was two very different places. The posh part comprised elegant country houses and fine apartments around parks in cities. The far side was a murky world of city slums, where young children went into thankless employment, and where a beating was the best hope they could expect. Dickens aimed to expose this misery.

His classic tale has triumphed time and again for more than one hundred and fifty years, on cinema screens, on television and in live shows. The current version comes thanks to Cameron Mackintosh’s vision, for it is he who built further on Sam Mendes’ 1990 revival. And three years later, it’s on the road again.

Worldwide Fascination

Writers have translated Oliver into twenty-two different languages, including Bulgarian, Icelandic and Slovakian, and the show has wowed audiences in at least as many countries. While boyhood stars all over Britain still ask for jelly custard, in Finland they dream of fresh fish, and in Poland, the demand is for cake and pork chops.

And that’s all part of the magic, isn’t it? Charles Dickens’ tale continues to inspire dreams of a world that could be truly different. If there’s one show that everybody in the UK should see this year, then the vote must be for Oliver, surely? How could you possibly turn it down?

If you’re living in the country, don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to see a top-class London show in your local city this year. We doubt an offer like this will come around again for a long, long time. So grab it now, and book your seat for Oliver now!

Legally Blonde is a harmless bit of spoof entirely suitable for whiling away relaxing evenings, or matinee performances on rainy Thursday and Saturday afternoons. Go there for fun as often as you like – don’t go at all if you’re seriously minded though, and needing to extend the frontiers of your knowledge. That’s not to say there’s no plot. In fact it’s pretty good.

Legally Blonde - The Story Line

College sweetheart Elle Woods is a natural peroxide blonde. She comes complete with pet chihuahua, and a steady boyfriend named Warner at Harvard Law School. When Warner peers into the future, and ditches her for somebody apparently more intelligent, Elle dusts off her credit card, reads a few quick books and heads off for Harvard with the doggie, where she enrols.

But, can Elle succeed in the bitchy world of male-dominated higher-education, where a female can be an opportunity to take advantage of, and a dizzy blonde something to laugh at behind her back? And how will she secure her first job? In the middle of all this she discovers that her fitness instructor stands accused of murder. Will Elle’s blond brain come out on top of all of this? You’ll have to wait and see!

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A Varied History

The 2001 American comedy film borrowed from the novel Amanda Brown wrote, about her own experiences at university. The movie earned several positive reviews, including a Golden Globe nomination for best motion picture, musical or comedy. Two sequels followed, namely Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, and a DVD-Spinoff, Legally Blondes. It also reinforced the concept of an astute blonde who didn’t look that way at all.

Inevitably, a live show version opened in Broadway in 2007, and moved on later to London’s West End Savoy Theatre. There it continues to be a piece of pure pop-kitsch, in which a bubble headed blonde goes through life on the high heels of fantasy. The fact that it’s running several years later is proof positive of one thing though. London theatre crowds love great dancing and first-rate singing.

Who Should Go?

The buzz is that this is one is the show for girls of all persuasions, who enjoy seeing the weaker sex kick down the barriers and show what they can do. Reviewers may have panned Legally Blonde as lacking sub-plots, and sometimes going to ridiculous extents. But the audience at the show we watched were having a great time, and didn’t seem to mind that it was just a silly piece of satire.

That said and put aside, most people we have booked through (including husbands dragged in by determined wives) have confirmed that Legally Blonde is perfect light entertainment. So why not dust off your prejudices, turn off your intellect for the night and book your seats for two hours, thirty minutes of run-time fun. After all, who said life has to be serious (at least not all the time). Book tickets for Legally Blonde now!

You may not be from the sixties-era, but anybody with the most basic knowledge of swinging pop will know most if not all of the famous hits released by the legendary group Four Seasons. Enter the fantastic musical Jersey Boys. This show is running at the Prince Edward Theatre for the benefit of the many adoring fans, and followers of this iconic group of four.

Critics describe this show quite accurately as a “jukebox musical”. The two-and-a-half hour stage-show is safe for all but the very young ages, as it recalls the story of the meteoric rise to fame and glory of the fabulous four. And for those latter-day teeny-boppers still out there, you can’t afford to miss this rendition of some of the best pop music ever to come out of America.

The Jersey Boys Story Line

The stage-show begins in the years leading up to the group’s first big break into show business. And the musical Jersey Boys uses a compelling mixture of documentary-style flashback narrative over the famous band’s early musical repertoire. The stage-show goes on to chart the trials and tribulations that led to the release of hits such as December 1963 (Oh What A Night!), Bye Bye Baby and Can’t Take My Eye Off You. These titles contributed massively to their early success.

A Brief History of Jersey Boys

In reality, the group’s long walk to stardom was not as squeaky-clean as some of the lyrics in their hit songs were. Stints in jail, utter jealousy and bitter rivalry were just some of the unbelievable events that they encountered along the way. In the musical Jersey Boys, each member of the band recounts a chapter of the groups’ journey, through each of the four seasons.

This performance is literally electrifying – it’s a must-see show that you shouldn’t miss! We don’t want to overburden you with too much more history – you’ll have to see the musical Jersey Boys to learn the rest.  Be assured that this fine stage-show is definitely one for you to take in, and that you will find the experience positively exhilarating.

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Our Review of Jersey Boys

Jersey Boys is one truly memorable stage-show. Fantastic music in the form of accurate interpretations from a by-gone era actually leaves a strong impression that it really could be the Four Seasons out there on stage. The excellent acting contributes superbly too, and the well-designed sets all add up to a fabulous time out at the Prince Edward Theatre for everybody.

Let’s Hang On to Our Rag Doll Then!

Did you know that the Four Seasons entered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990? That’s a quarter of a century after the group disbanded. And, with 175-million records sold world-wide, this awesome foursome ended up one of the best-selling musical groups of all time. Now if that’s not reason enough to book your ticket right away for the stage-show Jersey Boys, then we don’t know what is!

The theatre lights begin to dim. The audience quietens down. Somewhere, a mother hushes a small child – perhaps someday destined to become a great singer too. But who is this, who lurks beneath the splendid majesty of the Paris Opera House? A shadowy man so feared by all. Settle into your seat. Discover how the genius of Andrew Lloyd Weber still enraptures London after 10,000 glittering performances

Phantom of the Opera - What’s the Story?

First and foremost, this is a tale of love not adequately returned, and revealed against a backdrop of stunning sets and magnificent choreography. Like all first-rate journeys half the pleasure’s in the travelling there, although in this case there’s a dramatic destination with a twist at the end as well. Did the Phantom of the Opera really exist? Take the journey – then make up your own mind.

Christine, a rising prima donna, learned from her mother that a ghostly figure gave her singing lessons as a child. While others mock, a ghostly figure appears in the mirror in her hand. Fascinated, she follows the image deep down into a subterranean chamber where this Phantom of the Opera dwells. What will happen in this secret lair across a crystal lake? Will Christine ever escape the envelope of a Phantom’s love?

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A Ghostly History

French author Gaston Leroux wrote the original version Le Fantôme de l’Opéra in 1909. His serialised publication fared poorly, and barely survived criticism. In 1925, Rupert Julian produced a cinematic version, which Ken Hill followed up on with his 1966 musical at the Theatre Royal Stratford East.

Andrew Lloyd Webber re-wrote history when he launched a scratch-built version of the story in the West End in 1986. Along the way to celebrating its 25^th Anniversary in October 2011, the show scooped Olivier and Tony awards. With total world-wide box-office receipts of £3.5 billion, Phantom of the Opera has become the second-longest West End musical, and the longest running West End show of all time.

Should You Not be Part of This?

The secret to Webber’s legendary success lies in a skilful recipe of spectacular stage sets, highly talented stars, thrilling music and a rollicking good story. Blend in fantasy and numbers like Think of Me, Music of the Night, and The Point of No Return, and you have the answer why Phantom of the Opera is arguably the finest musical production ever.

Much of the magic lies in the exceptional cast of actors who have continued to play out their roles over twenty-five years. To some, the Phantom is the culmination of an annual visit to London oft repeated. To others, it is their baptism of fire, in the crucible of classic showmanship that changes lives.

You must see this show and not next year either – if for no other reason that it’s the perfect way to spoil yourself and a close companion. We promise you a night of splendid theatre, and of unforgettable experiences. That’s two hours and thirty minutes that will remain with you for ever. Buy tickets to Phantom of the Opera now!