A new Mandarin Mousetrap baits the Brits in London

The Shanghai Modern Theater will present the Chinese version of The Mousetrap to UK audiences. Provided to China Daily

A Chinese version of Agatha Christie's 60-year-old play will be staged in the UK. Zhang Chunyan reports in London.

The Chinese production of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap - the world's longest-running play in the history of theater - will be staged for the 60th anniversary of the work's debut with a UK premiere on Sunday.

The Shanghai Modern Theater's cast and troupe will present The Mousetrap in Mandarin at St. Martin's Theater in London.

"Although The Mousetrap has been licensed in foreign countries worldwide, this is the first time a foreign performance troupe has been invited to give a performance at St. Martin's Theater," Shanghai Modern Theater Company director Zhang Yu tells China Daily.

The English version of The Mousetrap ran 12 shows to great acclaim at Shanghai's Lyceum Theater in 2010, Zhang says.

In 2011, at its British partner's invitation, Zhang and his cast began to prepare the Chinese production of The Mousetrap and invited British production supervisor Denise Silvey to guide the process.

The cast includes young Shanghai Modern Theater performers like Zhang Tao, Jiang Yiyi and Pan Li.

"The size, light and direction of our stage are the same as St. Martin's Theater's, so the actors will have no difficulty adapting to the new venue," Zhang says.

The Mousetrap opened in the West End of London in 1952 and has since staged nearly 25,000 performances.

In celebration of the debut's 60th anniversary, 60 productions of The Mousetrap will be performed in different languages around the world.

"We've staged the Chinese version in China," Zhang says.

"We're the only ones invited to perform it at St. Martin's Theater. We want to show that Chinese actors can wonderfully perform classic British plays."

The Chinese version will give a different flavor to Christie's work, he adds.

The whodunit is known for its tremendous plot twist, which audiences are requested to keep tight-lipped about outside the theater.

Zhang expresses high hopes for the show's future. "This is just the beginning," he says.

"We will cooperate more with Western theaters and then introduce some classic Chinese plays to Western audiences."

Contact the writer at zhangchunyan@chinadaily.com.cn.