Whodunit?!

Hercule Poirot fans looking to see their favorite detective onstage in the dramatic interpretation of Agatha Christie’s The Hollow may be disappointed. Christie removed the character from the stage adaptation, having tired of him (she felt his appearance “ruined” the 1946 novel). The leadup to the play’s 1951 opening was circuitous, but the eventual success of The Hollow spurred Christie on to bigger and better things, most notably, The Mousetrap.

The Granite Theatre in Westerly takes a shot at The Hollow with its first post-David/Beth Jepson production, starting September 6. Secret romances, devious deceptions, a dying utterance and multiple motives for murder feature, of course. There are no shortages of red herrings, suspects and potential victims – in other words, it’s pretty much like every Agatha Christie story, with several white people trapped in a spacious house figuring out how not to die. With names like “Midge Hardcastle” that can only be delivered in crisp, British tones, it’s no wonder that Christie’s work tends to be rather homogenous, but everyone loves a good murder mystery and, before the advent of Serial and other true crime media, there was Agatha Christie, paving the way for every improv whodunit and, of course, Murder, She Wrote. Early September begs for some suspenseful fare, and a trip to The Granite may be just the thing to kick off your fall. 

Renaissance City Theatre Inc. at The Granite Theatre presents Agatha Christie’s The Hollow, Sep 6 – 29, 1 Granite St, Westerly. For tickets and more information, visit granitetheatre.com or call 401-596-2341.