Agatha Christie Archives - North West End UK

8Dec

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

London

The Mousetrap – St Martin’s Theatre

Director Philip Franks wonderfully maintains the suspense of what is the longest running play in the world, which now in its 73rd year, having first opened in London’s West End in 1952, continues to play to packed houses which is a testament to Agatha Christie’s suspenseful writing and the accompanying performances from the cast with the support of an accomplished creative team. Set in early 1950’s England, Mollie Ralston (Lara Lemon) and Giles Ralston (Harry Bradley) have been married for one year and having decided to repurpose her inherited stately home, Monkswell Manor, as a guest house, they nervously await their first guests amidst a snowy blizzard that has just descended. First to arrive is the excitable Christoper Wren (Richard Leeming), an architect no less who loves to coo...

Murder on the Orient Express – Festival Theatre

23Oct

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

Murder on the Orient Express – Festival Theatre

On the 22nd of October, Edinburgh Festival Theatre played host to an adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's most beloved mysteries: Murder on the Orient Express. This new production, directed by Lucy Bailey and starring Michael Maloney as Hercule Poirot, promises to be a thrilling and immersive experience for fans of classic crime drama and theatre alike. Set in the winter of 1934, the story unfolds on the luxurious Orient Express after it finds itself trapped by an avalanche in the snowy Balkans. With the train at a standstill and a murder on board, Poirot must solve the mystery before the train resumes its journey—and before the killer strikes again. The ensemble cast includes Bob Barrett, Mila Carter, Rebecca Charles, Debbie Chazen, Simon Cotton, and more. Based on Christie’s ow...

Murder on the Orient Express – The Lowry

11Sep

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Murder on the Orient Express – The Lowry

The current touring production of Murder on the Orient Express, presented at The Lowry in Salford, is a resounding success, perfectly capturing the timeless charm of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery while bringing fresh energy to the familiar tale. Directed by Lucy Bailey and adapted by Ken Ludwig, this version pays homage to the original while offering a modern twist that feels both invigorating and faithful to the source material. It’s no small feat to revitalise a story so well-known, yet this production does so with ease. Set in the 1930s, the plot follows Hercule Poirot as he investigates a murder aboard the famed Orient Express, which has become stranded by snow in Yugoslavia. Michael Maloney delivers a standout performance as Poirot, portraying the detective’s methodical nature ...

Agatha Christie’s The Rats – theSpace on the Mile

14Aug

By H.S. BakerNo Comments

Scotland

Agatha Christie’s The Rats – theSpace on the Mile

Performed by Hart Players, from Fleet in Hampshire, The Rats is one of a trilogy of less familiar Agatha Christie plays known as the Rule of Three. Each play stands alone, but has links between the characters, which become apparent when all three are performed as a single production. At a little over 30 minutes long, The Rats is the shortest in the trilogy. Described as “a dark and chilling tale”, this production didn’t quite seem to know where to pitch the style, hovering somewhere between playing it straight and playing for laughs. Either would have worked, but as it was this play neither thrilled nor amused. Sandra (Helen Tyson) arrives at an apartment, allegedly the home of the Torrences, to which she’s been invited to a party.&nbs...

And Then There Were None – Rainhill Village Hall

17May

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

And Then There Were None – Rainhill Village Hall

Agatha Christie’s most popular novel from 1939 – and apparently the bestselling crime novel of all time – is a quintessentially English affair with almost as many copies of it in circulation as The Bible and in too many languages to count. The perfect vehicle for the array of talent that makes up Rainhill Garrick Society, and with the action all taking place in the living room of a house on an island off the coast of Devon, it had the added benefit of the real sound effects from a stormy windblown night outside to add to the suspense on stage. Two servants, Rogers (Rob Williams) and Mrs Rogers (Ruth Proffitt) and eight strangers – secretary Vera Claythorne (Sophie Brogan); adventurer Philip Lombard (Richard Parker); lady-about-town Antonia Marston (Alison Mawdsley); retired police inspe...

9Apr

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

The Mousetrap – The Lowry

The Mousetrap’s 70th Anniversary Tour has arrived at The Lowry Theatre in Salford. ‘The Mousetrap’ is the longest running play in the world which first opened in London’s West End in 1952 and ran continuously until March 2020. After closing its doors for a short break due to the Covid-19 pandemic it reopened in May 2021. Being the longest running play in the world it is hard to bring anything new and insightful to a review of this timeless classic, even after 70 years (and counting) the play performs to packed audiences and The Lowry was no exception as the auditorium was full of Agatha Christie enthusiasts. I must be honest that I had not seen ‘The Mousetrap’ before and didn’t know the story but its one of those plays that everyone seems to have heard of and knows it’s a murder myst...

And Then There Were None – The Alexandra

6Mar

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

And Then There Were None – The Alexandra

When first I read “And Then There Were”, a novel sensibly shorn of its original title, I closed the final page convinced that no one for a thousand pounds could work out how the murder was done. The explanation was so profoundly improbable and bizarrely unlikely as to warrant a well-deserved grunt and a huff and a sigh of incredulity from this reader. However, despite my lowly opinion, the book has found its place as a (if not “the”) best-selling crime novel of all time. Quite a claim in such a packed genre with everyone from Richard Osman to Alan Titchmarsh having a crack. We love murders! We love detectives - be they little old ladies, vain Belgians or high-functioning sociopaths in deerstalkers. This tome by the indisputable monarch of murder, Agatha Christie, (Dame of the British Empir...

8Nov

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

The Mousetrap – Floral Pavilion

What do you get when you combine masterful storytelling and captivating characters? Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, that's what! The world's longest running play - currently 70yrs old - is still going strong, thrilling theatres and keeping audiences on their toes. It's a classic. Lights dim and the curtains pull back on a stupendously wide set. Time rolls back to reveal the living room of a guesthouse in 1950s England, the ideal setting for a good old-fashioned whodunnit to take place. Christie's unparalleled ability to craft a suspenseful and engaging narrative quickly makes its impact felt. There is a chilling atmosphere of intrigue and mystery from the very first scene. As the tension builds and secrets unravel, the audience is on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating the...

30Aug

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Mousetrap – Leeds Grand Theatre

North West End UK has a strict no spoilers policy. That’s handy as giving away the twist at the end of this theatrical warhorse would break a solemn pledge made by generations of Agatha Christie fans over the last seven decades. The Mousetrap has been pulling in tourists to its West End production since 1952 just after our late Queen was finding her feet as a monarch, and now it’s out on a national tour celebrating its 70th anniversary. Its record-breaking longevity is even more remarkable as it doesn’t feature Christie’s supersleuths Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot, but it is the classic Christie set up where a group of strangers assemble on a boat or a train and - shock horror - one of them is a murderer. In The Mousetrap our cast of strangers assemble in a rambling country house ...

Towards Zero – The Little Theatre, Birkenhead

14Jun

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

Towards Zero – The Little Theatre, Birkenhead

Agatha Christie is ‘marmite’ and for me personally, not something I would spread on my toast, but it is the case that audiences love them, and many amateur theatres will always include one in their catalogue in their season as they know its bums on seats. Carlton Players being no exception, regularly produce her plays and this week its Towards Zero, a complicated mix of the usual group of suspects: house guests gathered in a large house. No surprise there’s a murder, everyone has a motive and finally, by some clever deduction, the police uncover the truth. The script, like all Christie, is pretty static and all exposition and one way a director might approach it is to find the comedy and irony: play it over the top with lots of movement and action. This director didn’t q...