In Black Coffee Poirot is charged with finding Britain’s leading physicist Sir Claud Amory’s (Bud Emerson) valuable formula. Suspects abound, each highly motivated to perpetrate this heinous crime. They keep streaming in and out of the elegantly appointed library in his home outside of London.

There is son Richard (Steve Murdock) and his wife, Lucia (Elizabeth Mander-Wilson), both of whom would love to share in the wealth. His sister Caroline (Lizette Kent Allen) as well as his niece, Barbara (Jessica Seaman) seem to have a need for ill–gotten gains. With relatives like these, who needs enemies.

One certainly would not suspect his secretary, Edward Raynor (Terence J. Burke), or his butler, Treadwell (Timothy Paul Evans). Last on the long list of suspects is an unexpected (albeit somewhat mysterious) Italian guest, Dr. Carelli (Nicolas Peters). Just why is the good doctor visiting Richard’s wife, Lucia?

Sir Amory enlists the famed Hercule Poirot (Michael Gardner) to investigate. Poirot asks the help of Captain Hastings (Ivan Harrison), Inspector Japp (Nick Reeves), and Dr. Graham (Eric Hedberg) to aid in the investigation and interrogations. There will be a test at the end of this review on who’s who and why!

At just shy of two and a half hours with intermission the investigation gets a bit tedious. It was Ms. Christie’s first play in a period when most plays were three acts and over two hours long. From an historical view, Black Coffee introduced the theatre world to a writer that would go on to create a very special niche in the mystery genre.

Set Designer Rosemary King created an elegant platform for the production. Add to her artistry elegant furnishing by Set Dresser Ivan J. Harrison and excellent period costumes by Angela Wills. Dale Goodman’s lighting design works well as does Steve Murdock’s sound design. Elizabeth Mander-Wilson and Ivan Harrison coached the cast in the British dialect.

On the night that I witnessed the production, the theatre and much of San Diego County was pelted by a hard rain and hail. The roof and ceiling seemed to further amplify the sounds of nature. Consequently, the cast had to project over this roar. Sadly some of Agatha Christie’s dialog was lost. For the Christie fans, Black Coffee should be on their list.

Review in The Gay Lesbian Times 3 April 2008
by Jean Lowerison

The Guinness Book of World Records names Dame Agatha Christie the best-selling fiction writer of all time, with sales of two billion and counting.

The doyenne of the drawing-room mystery also wrote 19 plays. Oddly enough, only the first – Black Coffee – features Christie’s most famous character, detective Hercule Poirot. You remember Poirot, that prissy little Belgian whose name means both “leek” and “wart,” with his heavy French accent, aversion to dust and disorder, and his way of asking seemingly off-the-wall questions that finally expose the killer.

Noted scientist Sir Claud Amory (Bud Emerson) calls his guests together to announce that one of them has stolen the formula for an advanced explosive that could kill hundreds of thousands rather than the paltry thousands now possible. Moreover, since Claud has locked the doors and windows from the outside, the thief is in this room.

The theft becomes a murder case when Claud dies suddenly and Poirot (Michael Gardner) and his sidekick Capt. Hastings (Ivan Harrison) are called in to solve the case.

The suspects include Claud’s loquacious sister Caroline (Lizette Kent Allen), niece Barbara (Jessica Seaman), son Richard and his wife Lucia (Steve Murdock, Elizabeth Mander-Wilson), Claud’s secretary Edward Raynor (Terence J. Burke), unexpected guest Dr. Carelli (Nicolás Peters) and of course the butler Tredwell (Timothy Paul Evans).

Originally produced in 1930 as a three-act play, Black Coffee suffers the pitfalls of the first play – too much verbiage (much of it less than fascinating) and too much obvious plotting (how many times do characters need to implicate Dr. Carelli to make us certain he is not the culprit?). The play clocks in at two and a half hours – long by modern standards.

Production values are high, with a handsome, deep set by Rosemary King and smashing period costumes by Angela Wills. The deep set offers spatial luxury not usually seen here, but also presents sound challenges. The actors need to take more than usual care to project, especially when upstage, and most particularly when facing away from the audience. Too many lines disappear into the cavern.

This isn’t vintage Christie, but it’s great to see Poirot back onstage, and Gardner does him justice. Likewise, Harrison provides a fine British foil for the master detective. The rest of the cast ranges from very good to adequate.

Review in The Coronado Eagle and Journal 8 April 2008
by Elizabeth Guiten

Using theft as the premise, Agatha Christie's "Black Coffee," a Hercule Poirot mystery, creates interesting intrigue with the eccentric and slightly paranoid Amory family and a cast of other colorful characters against the backdrop of a xenophobic, post-World War I world. Following the theft of a valuable scientific formula, Sir Claud Amory (Bud Emerson,) the miserly familial patriarch, assembles the family: his sister Miss Caroline (Lizette Kent Allen,) his son Richard (Steve Murdock, his daughter-in-law Lucia (Elizabeth Mander-Wilson,) his niece Barbara (Jessica Seaman) the mysterious Italian visitor Dr. Carelli (Nicolas Peters) and other domestics including Tredwell (Timothy Paul Evans) his butler and his Personal secretary Edward Raynor (Terence J. Burke) to inform them of the theft.

No one has been allowed to leave the home since Sir Claud discovered the formula has gone missing so he asserts that the thief is still there with the stolen property in his or her possession. He informs everyone that he has summoned Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Michael Gardner) to help him solve the mystery. In a last attempt to right the wrong that was done him, Sir Claud orchestrates a way for the property to be returned and the thief to remain unknown. What ensues is a series of unfortunate events that complicate the situation even more. When detective Poirot arrives, not only has the formula not been returned and the thief not discovered but Sir Claud is dead. With his friend Capt. Arthur Hastings (Ivan Harrison,) they work to get the bottom of the issue which isn't easy as they soon discover that many in the family have more than enough motive to want Sir Claud dead.

The cast is rounded out by Dr. Graham (Eric Hedberg,) the local physician who declares poison as the cause of death and Inspector Japp (Nick Reeves,) of Scotland Yard who help to tie together the loose ends of this mystery. Gardner, as the mystery's name sake, is very believable as the dapper detective Poirot, with affable charm and great comedic timing. He and Harrison create a detective/sidekick one-two punch that moves and enhances the plot line in all the right ways. Wilson, as Lucia Amory, endears herself to the audience in the role of the wounded lamb in spite of the perceived bourgeoise attitude she emits. Allen and Seaman as Sir Claud Amory's sister and niece pepper in funny anecdotes as well, with Allen as the whimsical, unintentionally humorous aunt with her smelling salts and knitting and Seaman as the worldly and beguiling niece who uses her wiles to charm the duty-bound Capt. Hastings. As the mysterious Italian visitor who gets blamed for the murder time and time again, Peters' Dr. Carelli, while not entirely innocent, does fall victim to the homogenous rnindset of the time.

Kudos must go to Rosemary King as the set designer for honoring the time period beautifully,as well as to costumer Angela Willis for creating a very well-dressed cast

Review in San Diego WriteWay 14 April 2008
by Peggy Lips-Kaz

Run, don't walk to your phone or computer and buy tickets for this production!!!

This is the only play Agatha Christie wrote in which Hercule Poirot appears. Yes, there have been several movies made from her books. I am a big Christie fan, but I have found most of the British productions kind of slow moving. This show has good movement and style. In this local production, reading the credits of the cast is impressive. Poirot is played by Michael Gardner. He does a fantastic job!!!! As soon as he enters the scene, he is "the man".

The stage sets and costumes were very well done and reflected the 1930's era in a "smashing" way. The story is a great mystery complete with red herrings to mislead you as to "who-done-it." Probably the most surprising dialog was the humor. I know you don't think of humorous dialog when you think of Agatha Christie, but it is here. The nice thing for us is that it isn't as "dry" as much of the British humor is, in other words, we got it!.

I had no trouble remembering that it was set in England because the cast kept their character and accents very well. One of the most interesting surprises was a conversation between Dr. Carelli, played by Nicholas Peters and Poirot. Dr. Carelli is Italian and Poirot is Belgian. When the two of them meet for the first time in the play, Dr. Carelli speaks French to Poirot and Poirot speaks Italian in greeting him. It was so natural and very European.

You only have 6 more days to catch this fabulous production of a wonderful mystery writer's play. Actually it only runs on Thursdays, Friday, Saturday evenings and Sunday matinee, so that cuts your choices down to 4.
Call the box office at 619-435-4856 or sit down to your computer and go to http://www.coronadoplayhouse.com.
If you love theater and a good mystery, I highly recommend this show. Mary and Keith Anderson, the Producer and Director have done an outstanding job. Bravo!

EDITOR'S NOTE: As a mystery buff, I saw the play also and highly recommend it.
(Sam Warren)