Poirot Returns to the Stage After 40 Years
Black Coffee
Newcastle Theatre Royal
Mon 14 – Sat 19 July 2014
Agatha Christie’s much celebrated Belgian detective Poirot will be appearing at Newcastle Theatre Royal this summer in the first major revival of the only play to feature him in 40 years. Espionage classic Black Coffee appears Mon 14 – Sat 19 July.
Jason Durr (Heartbeat) stars as world famous Hercule Poirot. Having recently appeared on UK stages in the title role of Sherlock Holmes: The Best Kept Secret, Durr’s previous Poirot-training saw him emerge as a household name following starring roles in hit television series such as Lewis (ITV); Midsomer Murders(ITV) Miss Marple: The Blue Geranium (ITV); Inspector Morse (ITV); The Chief (ITV) and, of course, Heartbeat (ITV) where he consolidated his heartthrob status playing the role of PC Mike Bradley for six years.
A quintessential English country estate is thrown into chaos following the murder of eccentric inventor Sir Claud Amory, and the theft of his new earth shattering formula. Arriving at the estate just moments too late, one man immediately senses a potent brew of despair, treachery, and deception amid the estate's occupants. That man is Hercule Poirot.
Black Coffee features a heavy-weight cast including Agatha Christie Company regulars: Liza Goddard, star of such TV hits as Bergeracand the long-running Give Us A Clue, Gary Mavers who is best known for playing heart-throb doctor Andrew Attwood in Peak Practice and Ben Nealon, perhaps best loved for his role as Capt. Forsythe in the ITV drama Soldier Soldier.
From the pen of the great Dame Christie – (who, having sold over 2 billion books worldwide is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare) - Poirot debuted in Christie’s 1920 novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles, making his first - and only - stage outing in the mistress of murder’s debut play, Black Coffee.
The Belgian investigator went on to become one of world’s most cherished and long-lived fictional characters, appearing in 33 novels, one play and more than 50 short stories published between 1920 and 1975. To this day he remains the only fictitious character to receive a front-page obituary in the New York Times.
His legend has proved ripe for adaptation and Poirot has been portrayed in comics, on radio and on screen for films and television, by actors such as Albert Finney, Sir PeterUstinov, Sir Ian Holm, Alfred Molina and David Suchet who, of course, played the eponymous hero in the ITV series since 1989, through the entire catalogue of books and dozens of short stories. He recently bid audiences an emotional farewell as Series 13 of the classic series concluded with his demise in Christie’s dramatic farewell, Curtain.
Such is Poirot’s on-going popularity that the first official novel to continue Christie’s work will be published in September 2014. Written by crime writer and poet Sophie Howard, the title alone will be announced this Summer with the support of the Christie estate.
Intrigue and suspense form the back-bone of this classic spy-thriller which follows The Agatha Christie Theatre Company’s hugely successful; The Hollow, The Unexpected Guest, And Then There Were None, Spider’s Web (which played at Newcastle Theatre Royal in 2009) Witness for the Prosecution, Verdict, Murder on the Nile and Go Back For Murder.
Presented by Bill Kenwright by special arrangement with Agatha Christie Ltd.
Black Coffee appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Mon 14 – Sat 19 July 2014 (Evenings: 7.30pm, Matinees: Thursday 2pm and Saturday 2.30pm). Tickets are from £12.00 (a booking fee of 95p - £1.95 will apply to most tickets) and can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 or select your own seat and book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk
UK Tour:
| 9-14 Jun 2014 | Everyman Theatre | 01242 572573 |
| Cheltenham | ||
| 23-28 Jun 2014 | Bord Gais Theatre | +353 (1) 677 7999 |
| Dublin | ||
| 30 Jun-5 Jul 2014 | Severn Theatre | 01743 281 281 |
| Shrewsbury | ||
| 7-12 Jul 2014 | Alexandra Theatre | 0844 871 3011 |
| Birmingham | ||
| 14-19 Jul 2014 | Theatre Royal | 0844 811 2121 |
| Newcastle | ||
| 18-23 Aug 2014 | New Victoria Theatre | 0844 871 7645 |
| Woking | ||
| 26-30 Aug 2014 | Oxford Playhouse | 01865 305 305 |
| Oxford | ||
| 1-6 Sep 2014 | Wyvern Theatre | 01793 524 481 |
| Swindon | ||
| 8-13 Sep 2014 | Grand Theatre | 01792 475715 |
| Swansea | ||
| 15-20 Sep 2014 | Princess Theatre | 0844 871 3023 |
| Torquay | ||
| 22-27 Sep 2014 | Civic Theatre | 01325 486555 |
| Darlington | ||
| 29 Sep-4 Oct 2014 | Pomegranate | 01246 345222 |
| Chesterfield | ||
| 6-11 Oct 2014 | Churchill Theatre | 0844 871 7620 |
| Bromley | ||
| 13-18 Oct 2014 | Rose Theatre | 08444 821 556 |
| Kingston | ||
| 20-25 Oct 2014 | His Majesty's Theatre | 01224 641122 |
| Aberdeen | ||
| 27 Oct-1 Nov 2014 | Floral Pavilion | 0151 666 0000 |
| New Brighton | ||
| 3-8 Nov 2014 | Theatre Royal | 0844 871 7647 |
| Glasgow | ||
| 10-11 Nov 2014 | Lyceum Theatre | 01270 368 242 |
| Crewe | ||
| 17-22 Nov 2014 | Opera House | 0844 871 3018 |
| Manchester | ||
| 24-29 Nov 2014 | Derby Theatre | 01332 59 39 39 |
| Derby |
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