Only a pandemic was able to bring Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap to a halt after more than half a century playing the London stage. But now the venerable mystery is set to be the first show to reopen in the West End, as part of London's Stage Four of the return of live theatre and music.

The production will resume performances at the St. Martin’s Theatre October 23, with social distancing in place.

“I recognize that for the vast majority of West End productions, operating with social distancing is simply not possible. I produce other shows which will also be unable to re-open under these restrictions. We are very fortunate with The Mousetrap that, with the help of our stakeholders, we are able to adapt our economic model to be able to re-open. Whilst this cannot be a long-term exercise, we believe it is a crucial first step in restoring live theatre to the London landscape," Adam Spiegel, the producer of The Mousetrap, said in a statement.

"From examinations of the operational requirements of the building, we are able to adhere to necessary social distancing on stage, backstage and throughout the auditorium and public spaces. The recent announcement of the government’s road map therefore brings our re-opening into immediate focus."

In The Mousetrap, seven strangers are snowed in at a countryside manor as they slowly realize that one of them has just committed murder in London.