Black Coffee
Black Coffee is a thriller by Agatha Christie [1] (1890-1976).
Christie's autobiography claimed that the debut performance of Black Coffee took place at the Everyman Theatre in Hampstead. However, no record exists of such a staging and she was undoubtedly confusing it with the true opening production at the Embassy Theatre in Swiss Cottage (now London's Central School of Speech and Drama) on 8 December 1930 [2].
Performance history in South Africa
1952: Produced by Brian Brooke in November 1952.
1984: Performed at the Baxter Theatre from 13 December 1984 to 5 January 1985, presented by Pieter Toerien, directed by Rex Garner with Dennis Folbigge, Jane Sinclair, Anne Curteis, Joseph Clark, Anne Power, Graham Weir, Drummond Marais, Timothy Welsh, Bill Flynn as Hercule Poirot, Tim Plewman, Neville Thomas, Paul Bosman and Louis Zuppa. Lighting by Jannie Swanepoel. This production was also seen at the Alhambra Theatre, Johannesburg, in Port Elizabeth and in Durban.
Translations and adaptations
Sources
Research material on Brian Brooke held by NELM: [Collection: ASCH, Valda]: 2005. 65. 7. 8.
Black Coffee theatre programme, 1984.
The Rand Daily Mail, 21 January 1985.
Barrow, Brian & Williams-Short, Yvonne 1988.
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