Vertigo Theatre

115 9 Avenue SE

Calgary

May 13, 2008, Tuesday 7:30 PM

For Tickets Call at Vertigo ticket office at 403-221-3708

BLACK COFFEE

"Black Coffee" by Agatha Christie is a captivating brew of good old-fashioned light mystery and comedy. The only play to include her famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, it was first staged at the Embassy Theatre in Swiss Cottage, London with the film version of Black Coffee released in 1931.

The detective in the mix is invited by physicist Sir Claude Amory to his country estate, suspecting that a member of his household is plotting to steal a secret formula he has created for the ministry of defense. Before Poirot arrives, however, Sir Claude is a corpse, and what looks like a heart attack turns out to be, what else, poisoned black coffee! Suspects abound.

Only Poirot can untangle the murderous mess, which he does by the end of the night, despite the bumblings of his amusingly thick-headed sidekick, Captain Arthur Hastings. One of Metro’s familiar faces, director Catherine Morrison’s blissfully stylized direction keeps audiences thoroughly amused and on the edge of their seats.

Written by Dame Agatha Christie.
Directed by Johanne Deleeuw
Featuring David LeReaney