Catch Michael Fenner on tour in The Mousetrap

A tour of The Mousetrap has not been without drama during its journey around the storm-battered south of England.

Actor Michael Fenner said: “The rain came through the theatre roof right in front of us and the wind turned the pages of a magazine while we were on stage.”

As the newest signing to the cast, Michael has clocked up performances in Salisbury and Swindon and taken to the touring production like a duck to water. “It’s a great show,” he said.

He is no stranger to the role of the mysterious Mr Paravacini, having performed it for nearly a year before it went on tour. “I did The Mousetrap in the West End when it turned 60,” he said.

With a good wind behind it, the longest-running show in British theatre comes to Chesterfield’s Pomegranate next week.

Michael plays an Italian who turns up unexpectedly at a guesthouse. He said: “Paravacini is wicked in a fun way. He is very naughty, has a great sense of humour, plays games and you don’t know what he is up to. He is a bit of a baddie with a twinkle in his eye.”

Humour is a trait which Michael shares with his stage persona. When asked about his last television cameo as chef Marco Pierre White on The Impressions Show, he said: “I am much better looking than him.”

In between acting commitments, Michael teaches at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

An accomplished artist, his work has been exhibited at the Royal Academy and his portrait subjects include theatrical legends Ray Cooney and Steven Berkoff.