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The Agatha Christie Festival 2024
The Agatha Christie Festival makes its return for 2024 taking place 7-15 September at historic locations across the English Riviera. This week-long celebration of the Queen of Crime boasts an impressive range of exciting cultural and literary events, designed to educate and entertain fans.
Opening Event - Lynda La Plante: Getting Away with Murder
This year's Literary Festival opens with a brilliant talk from the legendary actor, screenwriter and author, Lynda La Plante. Lynda’s life has been one lived to the full, so expect fascinating stories from the worlds of film, television and publishing.
Tickets: £15
Time: Thursday 12th September, 15:00
Location: The Spanish Barn, Torre Abbey, Torquay TQ2 5JE
Underground Cinema
Watch a murder mystery film inside the cave that inspired Hampsly Cavern in The Man in the Brown Suit. The films on offer are Murder on the Orient Express (1974), Death on the Nile (1978), Evil Under the Sun (1982), Clue (1985), Knives Out (2019), and See How They Run (2022).
Tickets: from £14
Time: Various dates and times
Location: Kents Cavern, 91 Ilsham Rd, Torquay TQ1 2JF
An Extraordinary Walking Tour
Soak up the views of the stunning English Riviera coastline whilst learning more about Agatha's life. See the hotel where she spent her honeymoon, walk along the pier where she would roller skate with her friends, and discover hidden gems that inspired her stories.
Tickets: from £5
Time: Thursday 7th - Saturday 14th September, 10:00 or 14:30
Location: Meet at the Visitor Information Centre, Vaughan Parade, Torquay TQ1 1BG
The Wagatha Mystery
Bring your best dog-tective along to help you sniff out the clues on this dog-walking murder mystery around Torre Abbey Gardens and Abbey Park.
Tickets: £15
Time: Sunday 8th September, from 11:00
Location: Meet outside the front of Torre Abbey (with the pitch and putt/sea behind you).
The Swinging Christies
Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown who present The Swinging Christies podcast, will be leading an insightful discussion on Christie's writing in the 1960s that haven't previously been debated on the show.
Tickets: £10
Time: Wednesday 11th September, from 16:00
Location: The Royal Torbay Yacht Club, 12 Beacon Terrace, Torquay, Devon, TQ1 2BH
All About Agatha Live!
Join Kemper Donovan, host of the All About Agatha podcast as he leads a discussion with fellow Christie experts who challenge each other with their own pitches for Agatha's greatest screen adaptation.
Tickets: £17.50
Time: Thursday 12th September, 19:00
Location: Spanish Barn, Torre Abbey, Torquay TQ2 5JE
With Madge bringing down Jack every summer to Torquay, we bathed practically every day. Even if it rained or blew a gale, it seems to me that we still bathed. In fact, on a rough day I enjoyed the sea even more.
Agatha Christie: Forensic Detective
Dig a little deeper into the science of Agatha Christie with award-winning mortician, Carla Valentine. Forensics including blood spatter, autopsy, fingerprints and toxicology will be examined as well as the true crimes that inspired some of Christie's stories.
Tickets: £12
Time: Friday 13th September, 17:00
Location: Spanish Barn, Torre Abbey, Torquay TQ2 5JE
Joan Hickson's Miss Marple
Mark Aldridge discusses the search for a definitive televised portrayal of the beloved sleuth Miss Marple. Guests are also invited to watch The Murder at the Vicarage (BBC, 1986), starring Joan Hickson after the talk.
Tickets: £15
Time: Friday 13th September, 19:00
Location: Spanish Barn, Torre Abbey, Torquay TQ2 5JE
Miss Marple and the Secret History of Female Sleuths
How many real-life female detectives can you name? Join author Caitlin Davies as she journeys through British history, identifying some of the country's most notable female sleuths and their shared characteristics with Miss Marple.
Tickets: £12
Time: Saturday 14th September, 15:00
Location: Spanish Barn, Torre Abbey, Torquay TQ2 5JE
Tommy and Tuppence and The Great Detectives
Dr John Curran takes a deep dive into the fictional detectives and their styles that Tommy and Tuppence emulate in their many adventures in Partners in Crime.
Tickets: £12
Time: Sunday 15th September, 12:00
Location: Spanish Barn, Torre Abbey, Torquay TQ2 5JE
The Art & Artists of Agatha Christie
Author, David Morris, takes a look at the artwork adorning the British and American first editions. He will examine how the artists brought Christie's work to life and impacted the public's perceptions of her work, and explore Christie's involvement in the design process.
Tickets: £12
Time: Sunday 15th September, 15:00
Location: Spanish Barn, Torre Abbey, Torquay TQ2 5JE
Closing Talk - Ragnar Jónasson and Benjamin Stevenson
Join two brilliant crime fiction writers, Ragnar Jónasson (Dark Iceland) and Benjamin Stevenson (Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone), as they discuss their love of the Queen of Crime and how her stories have influenced their own.
Tickets: £15
Time: Sunday 15 September, 17:00
Location: The Spanish Barn, Torre Abbey, Torquay TQ2 5JE
There are so many unmissable events at this year's festival - explore the full programme here.
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Explore Christie's developing knowledge of weapons in her works in this piece by Carla Valentine
Torre Abbey Gardens: A Puzzle
Solve this sunny puzzle to reveal Torre Abbey and its glorious garden
