Review Black Coffee, New Theatre, Cardiff by Barbara Michaels Third Age Critic.

BLACK COFFEE New Theatre, Cardiff

Writer: Agatha Christie

Director: Joe Harmston

Designer: Simon Scullion

Ratings: 3.00

Reviewer:  Barbara Michaels, Third Age Critic

Prepare to be transported back to the late 1920s with this, the first play ever written by Agatha Christie. In it we are introduced to the French detective who went on to become the most famous detective of all time. The curtain rises in time-honoured style – no contemporary open stage here – to reveal the drawing room of an English country house belonging to the wealthy Sir Claud Amory, whose estate is inhabited by a large chunk of the his family; English landed gentry with a deep suspicion of anyone foreign.

   That suspicion extends to a certain Monsieur Hercule Poirot, who arrives upon the scene to investigate the disappearance of important scientific documents and, it soon transpires, the murder of their eccentric inventor.  Programme notes tell us that Bill Kenwright's Agatha Christie Theatre Company, whose production this is, is the only company licensed by the late author’s family to produce her work on stage.  Kenwright’s production of ‘Black Coffee’ owes much to Simon Scullion’s set, which has all the hallmarks of a brilliant referral to the era in which the play was first performed.

     In adhering faithfully to the late Miss Christie’s ethos of delving below the obvious to explore the psychology beneath, Robert Powell as Monsieur Poirot captures the spirit of the famous detective’s intellectual approach to solving the crime with a mastery that tells of close study and evident enjoyment of the part.  This notwithstanding the fact that for many it is difficult not to call to mind his TV counterpart, played by David Suchet, so recently on our screens.  Powell, a well loved actor on stage, screen and television, whose charismatic and moving performance as Jesus in Franco Zeffirelli’s film ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ won him numerous awards, gives us a Poirot to whom we can relate.  Alongside a susceptibility when dealing with a pretty woman, his Poirot has a sentimental streak, revealed when he decides to give young love – in the shape of his aide de camp Captain Hastings’ penchant for the lively but scatter-brained Barbara Amory – a hand. 

      Robin McCallum’s Hastings is faithful to the characterisation of a gauche young man as propounded by Christie, while Felicity Houlbrooke’s skittish Barbara includes a spirited Charleston (unfortunately performed at the back of the stage.)  However, on the first night in this venue Houlbrooke tended to rush her words in the first Act , with the result that they were not always fully audible.

     As an added treat, the luscious Liza Goddard is here as Caroline Amory, sister of Sir Claud Amory.  Wide-eyed and delightful as ever, Goddard plays her part with relish, looking stunning in wonderful gowns by costume designer Nikki Bird, while Olivia Mace is suitably droopy as Lucia Amory. Any review of this play would be incomplete without mention of the phlegmatic Inspector Japp.  Eric Carte’s portrayal sticks closely to the original and is none the worse for that.

      In setting this production back in 1929, Kenwright has chosen to keep it stylised accordingly, and in doing so there are inevitably times when the acting appears stilted, engendering feelings of  irritation rather than sympathy with its characters, although redeemed in part by Powell, whose subtle and thoughtful portrayal can without doubt be added to the list of admirable Poirots.

 Runs until Saturday, March 8th.

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