Christie on Stage
The Agatha Christie Theatre Company
Following a four year embargo on the professional presentation of Christie’s work, spring 2006 saw Bill Kenwright reach an exclusive agreement with Agatha Christie Ltd to create a brand new touring theatre company, with the exclusive rights to present the original plays from the best-selling fiction author of all time, all around the UK. Bill Kenwright Ltd’s track record as one of the best and most prolific independent commercial theatre companies positioned it perfectly to take on this much coveted brand. With its wide ranging portfolio including the hit musicals Blood Brothers, Joseph, Evita and Cabaret, and high profile plays such as Judi Dench in Hay Fever and All’s Well That Ends Well, Rob Lowe in A Few Good Men and prestigious West End transfers of RSC and NT productions, it was always apparent that the quality production values BKL has become renowned for would do Christie’s works proud. Since the partnership was formed the Agatha Christie Theatre Company has flourished, bringing together top acting talent and creative teams to produce work of the highest quality. This in turn has brought a whole new audience to these masterfully penned works as well as reigniting massive interest from generations of theatregoers who always considered Christie’s plays to be the best of the British stage thriller.
The inaugural production from The Agatha Christie Theatre Company was The Hollow, which featured an all-star cast including British stage and screen icon, Kate O'Mara, Tracey Childs (Howard’s Way, Born And Bred), Gary Mavers (Peak Practice, Casualty), and Coronation Street favourite Chloe Newsome. It opened to rave reviews (“a beautifully staged and executed murder-mystery... a killer production of classic Christie class” The Argus) and enjoyed a hugely successful tour of the country, galvanising critical acclaim where ever it played. Credited as ‘one of Agatha Christie’s most mischievous and chilling whodunnits’, The Unexpected Guest was the second title to be produced by the newly formed company, and it did not disappoint. Featuring such stars as Jack Ellis and Simon MacCorkindale, The Spectator called it ‘A Masterpiece of Suspense’. And Then There Were None was to follow with Gerald Harper, Alex Ferns, Denis Lill and Jennifer Wilson to name but a few of the star performers. The BBC to proclaim, "It will have you gripped in your seats and curling your toes in fear!" The next production, due to launch at the Theatre Royal Windsor in January, has already become one of the most hotly anticipated shows of the season. It is one of Christie’s best known and most loved titles: Spiders Web, but no one will have ever seen it done quite like this before…