A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

Black Coffee

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  3w, 10m

Agatha Christie

This three-act Poirot thriller – a superbly crafted whodunit with endless red herrings, subplots of infamous spies and an astonishingly prophetic storyline about weapons created through “bombarding the atom” – is one of Christie’s most gripping country house murder mysteries.

Black Coffee

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 10m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller, Period
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Senior

Details

Summary

Accomplished physicist Sir Claud Amory has constructed a workable formula for one of the most deadly weapons known to man: the atom bomb. After the formula is mysteriously stolen and Sir Claud is callously murdered, Hercule Poirot arrives to solve the mystery with the help of Captain Hastings and Inspector Japp.

A superbly crafted whodunit with endless red herrings, subplots of infamous spies and an astonishingly prophetic storyline about weapons created through “bombarding the atom”, Black Coffee is one of Christie’s most gripping country house murder mysteries.

History

Black Coffee premiered at the Embassy Theatre in London in December 1930.

Keywords
Performing Groups
HERCULE POIROT
TREDWELL 
LUCIA AMORY
MISS CAROLINE AMORY 
RICHARD AMORY 
BARBARA AMORY
EDWARD RAYNOR
DR. CARELLI
SIR CLAUD AMORY
CAPTAIN ARTHUR HASTINGS, O.B.E.
DR. GRAHAM
INSPECTOR JAPP
JOHNSON 
  • Time Period 1930s
  • Setting The library of Sir Claud Amory’s house at Abbot’s Cleve, 25 miles from London. 1930.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“It’s exactly as Agatha Christie – and Poirot – should be.” – The Guardian

“A tasty confection… delivers at least as many laughs as thrills.” – Stage Scene LA

“Black Coffee is hot… Christie knew how to craft a good mystery.” – The Topeka Capital-Journal

“It’s exactly as Agatha Christie – and Poirot – should be. I'm totally in the dark, in every way, but having fun.” – The Guardian

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

Waiting for Poirot
by Chris Chan
July 29, 2019

The Lost (and Found) Plays of Agatha Christie
by Chris Chan
July 24, 2019

Great Roles in Agatha Christie Plays
by Chris Chan
April 16, 2019

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

    Please submit a license request to determine availability.

Scripts

Available Formats:
Get the Script

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Authors

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in English with another billion in foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time and, in many languages, outsold only by the Bible and Shake ...

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