Play - Black Coffee

Agatha Christie’s “Black Coffee” performances will be August 12, 13, 19, and 20 at 7:30 p.m. and August 14 and 21 at 2 p.m.

Born in Torquay in 1890, Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. She is best known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, as well as the world’s  longest-running play – “The Mousetrap.” 
It is hard to believe that Christie taught herself to read and write and 
received no formal education until she was 16.

She began writing detective stories partly due to a bet she made with her sister, Madge, during the first World War. She was working in a dispensary, where she developed expertise with poisons. This knowledge was useful in her writing.

Christie wrote in her autobiography, “Plots come to me at such odd moments when I am walking along the street, or examining a hat shop...suddenly a  splendid idea comes into my head.” 

She was constantly writing down ideas for new plots in the multiple notebooks she always carried with her.  The mustachioed Detective Hercule Poirot’s character was created based on Belgian refugees from the war.
Poirot appears in 33 original novels and over 50 short stories, including the upcoming production of “Black Coffee.” You may have heard of titles such as “Death on the Nile” and “Murder on the Orient Express,” which feature the skilled detective.

“Black Coffee” is one of Agatha Christie’s most gripping country house murder mysteries. Accomplished physicist Sir Claud Armory has constructed a workable formula for one of the deadliest weapons known to man - the atom bomb. Detective Hercule Poirot, with the help of Captain Hastings and Inspector Japp, is called in after the formula is mysteriously stolen and Sir Claud is callously murdered. A superbly crafted whodunit with endless red herrings and subplots of infamous spies.

“Black Coffee’ is directed by Andrew Ritsig and produced by Nicholas Hess and Brooke Lawrie.

Tickets are $15. Order tickets at https://barrowtheatre.org/.