St Martin's Theatre

St Martin’s Theatre is a West End playhouse on West Street, just off Shaftesbury Avenue in London’s theatre district. It was designed by W. G. R. Sprague as the second of two theatres on the same site, paired with the Ambassadors Theatre. The building was commissioned by Richard Verney, 19th Baron Willoughby de Broke, and his partner Bertie Meyer, but work was halted by the First World War. The theatre opened in 1916 with the musical comedy Houp La!, produced by Charles B. Cochran. It has remained in the hands of the Willoughby de Broke family ever since. The theatre is famous for hosting the world’s longest continuous run of a single play. Agatha Christie’s thriller The Mousetrap transferred from the Ambassadors in March 1974 and played without pause until the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020. When it reopened in May 2021 it became the first West End show to welcome back audiences after the pandemic. By early 2024 it had given more than 29,500 performances at St Martin’s. Earlier successes included Hugh Williams’s The Grass is Greener and John Mortimer’s The Wrong Side of the Park. Inside, the auditorium retains its Edwardian character, with tiered balconies and ornate plasterwork. The stage is framed by a proscenium arch decorated in cream and gold. Visitors can book seats for The Mousetrap or simply admire the historic interior during daytime. The theatre stands a few steps from Shaftesbury Avenue, surrounded by cafés, shops and other playhouses. The entrance on West Street is marked by a simple blue plaque noting the building’s record-breaking run.