Agatha Christie’s whodunnit, ‘Black Coffee’ is currently on stage at the Pieter Toerien Theatre at Montecasino, and it delivers both chuckles and intrigue.
- Almost 50 years after her passing, Agatha Christie remains unsurpassed as the leader of mystery writers, with her books having sold over two billion copies in numerous languages.
- Christie has written 33 plays, of which ‘The Mousetrap’ continues its unbroken run on London’s West End, more than 73 years after its opening – ‘Black Coffee’ is her first mystery play.
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Few of us can resist the appeal of a good whodunnit. There’s something compelling about taking on the role of amateur detective and sifting through all the red herrings that the writer throws in our way – much the same as most politicians try to deflect our attention. It seems that no contemporary writer is even going to attempt to assume the mantle of the great Agatha Christie. The resigned attitude seems to be, “OK, so she owns that space into eternity. I think I’ll write a book about wildebeest…”
Of course, the structure of every Agatha Christie mystery is that the dramatis personae are confined within a space, and most – if not all – of them, harbour a deep resentment towards one person. This fated individual will then prematurely pop his or her clogs early in the story, leaving us to try assembling the tale’s murderous puzzle-pieces, while Christie’s detective – in this case, Hercule Poirot – does the serious unravelling, and finally reveals all in a stunning denouement.
Taking the lead role of Hercule Poirot is Alan Committie, who’s probably best known for his stand-up comedy, although he’s a formally trained actor who impressed us in his role of Salieri in the recent production of Amadeus at the Toerien Theatre. Now, let’s not beat around the bush, here: it takes some cojones to step into the shoes of a league of great actors who’ve played this eccentric sleuth. We’re talking names such as Peter Ustinov (of course), Albert Finney, and Ian Holm, to name just three. But Committie, undaunted by such trifling challenges, grabs the role with irresponsible abandon, and incorporates into the Belgian’s persona his own little Committie-isms – the hand gestures; the sly fourth-wall-breaking, and such – and these are lapped up by his fans, as witness the knowing cackles from the audience. If an SA thesp is going to take this role, then the wickedly playful Committie has to be it. After all, Joan Brickhill is no longer with us…
Amongst the more senior players are the affable local legends Mike Huff and Peter Terry, multimedia whizz Anne Williams, seasoned writer-actress Dianne Simpson, and the Harry Secombe-esque Michael Richards, who commands the stage like Mussolini’s marginally nicer brother. The comedically talented Ashley Dowds isn’t quite “senior” yet, so I’m not sure which ageist box to slot him into, although I can declare that he provides Poirot with an entertaining foil. They’re all ably supported by younger up-and-commers Brett Kruger, Jackie Lulu, and Schoeman Smit, who (I stand corrected) are all (like Committie) Cape Town-based. Cape Town is apparently a place near South Africa.
If you’re after sturdily directed, relaxing escapism, steered by West-End-standard actors, then Black Coffee is your brew of choice. It’s all good fun, and nobody loses an eye. The play’s run ends on 1 June 2025, and tickets are selling fast.
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