Louise Jameson: '˜The Mousetrap is something that's quintessentially British, it's quite an honour to be part of that'

The actress is currently starring as Mrs Boyle in the touring version of The Mousetrap, but she has previously played the dame’s much-loved amateur sleuth Miss Marple in a production of A Murder Is Announced on a UK tour in 2014.

‘I played Miss Marple a couple of years ago, so I’m no stranger to her work,’ says Louise, when WOW247 catches up with her as the production gets in to York.

‘It was quite tough really, because she’s such an iconic figure and everyone has an idea how she should be played. I didn’t want to mimic anyone else, I wanted to make her my own.

‘The thing about Miss Marple is that she’s like a three-year-old trapped in an old lady’s body.

‘I think there was some criticism that I had played her too young, but I think she has all the vitality and intelligence of a 20-year-old.’

But for now she is part of the touring production of the record-breaking show The Mousetrap.

The Mousetrap is famous around the world for being the longest-running show of any kind in the history of theatre, with more than 26,000 performances in London’s West End – it can still lay claim to be in its opening run.

For its 60th anniversary, a touring production visited regional theatres for the first time in its history, whilst the London run continued uninterrupted. And that touring production is now back on the road and coming to The New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth from March 14.

A slice of classic Christie, the scene is set when a group of people gathered in a country house and cut off by the snow discover, to their horror, that there is a murderer in their midst.

But who can it be? One by one the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts until at the last, nerve-shredding moment the identity and the motive are finally revealed.

Speaking of her role, Louise says: ‘She’s a grumpy old bag that I’m playing.

‘The show’s been running since 1952 – can you believe it?

‘It’s part of British history, it’s something that’s quintessentially British, it’s quite an honour to be part of that, really.

‘I turn 65 this year so I’m just a year ahead of The Mousetrap. It’s always been part of my life, whenever I’ve gone up to London it’s always been in the West End – I’m proud to be part of it now.’

Although Louise says she’d seen the play several times when friends were in it, she never thought she’d be in it herself – and while she initially had doubts about taking on the touring version, she’s glad she took the plunge.