Black Coffee (Tour – Manchester)

84 years after its debut at the Embassy Theatre, Agatha Christie’s Black Coffee is still as strong as its title suggests.

Set in 1929, this is the first play ever written by Christie and the only play to feature the shrewd and witty Hercule Poirot. The story revolves around the murder of Sir Claude Amory, a rich and bad-tempered old miser who meets his end after drinking a poisoned cup of coffee.

Hercule Poirot (Jason Durr) and his friend Arthur Hastings (Robin McCallum) work their way through the cast, all of whom have a valid reason for murder, before revealing the true killer at the end of act three. In true Christie style, the nature of the crime is key to the story, with the clever and unpredictable script leaving the audience guessing right to the very end.

The action takes place in the beautiful Art-Deco inspired library of Abbot's Cleve, the home of the Sir Claud Amory. Simon Scullion’s set is simply stunning and provides the perfect scene for the crime. Nikki Bird’s costume design is also equally superb, adding style and splendor to the production.

Jason Durr’s interpretation of the infamous Belgian detective is outstanding. The actor captures the true essence of the character, from his Chaplinesque walk to his quirky OCD mannerisms and thick Belgian accent. Not bad for a man who has the difficult job of living up to legends Peter Ustinov and David Suchet whose portrayals of Poirot are well-known and well-loved.

The supporting cast is equally excellent, particularly Deborah Grant as Caroline Amory, the victim’s elderly sister, Georgina Leonidas as Lucia Amory, the victim’s daughter-in-law and Felicity Houlbrooke as Barbara Amory, the victim’s flirtatious niece.

Robin McCallum is also brilliant as Hastings, despite having very few lines in the play. His camaraderie with Durr is excellent with the two characters bouncing off each other with infectious comic timing.

Unusually, the play is spilt into three acts with two 10 minute intervals, both of which were too short to queue for a drink but long enough to interrupt the tension. The pace also seems to slow in the middle with little happening in the second act, but picks back up again in act three as the play draws to its climax.

Despite this, Black Coffee‘s endless red herrings and continual twists and turns make it a thrilling murder mystery that’s timelessly addictive. This is a fabulous production that is sure to get your "little grey cells" going.

Black Coffee runs at the Opera House Manchester until 22nd November.