Company:

Hobart Repertory Theatre Society

Season: 18 May - 2 June 2018

Venue: Playhouse Theatre, Hobart

Written by: Agatha Christie

Director: Scott Hunt

Stage Manager: Rogan Brown

Production Manager:  

Carolyn Whamond

CAST

Arab Boy: Joe Fitzpatrick

Italian Girl: Louise Stubs

Clerk: Nigel Davidson

Alderman Higgs: Mark Morgan

Mrs Boynton: Pip Tyrrell

Lady Westholme: Kathy Spencer

Miss Pryce: Emily Ezzy

Dr Gerard: Roger Chevalier

Sarah King: Ebba Austen

Ginerva Boynton: Bonnie Liston

Nadine Boynton: Kath Uziallo

Jefferson Cope: Damian Brockie

Lennox Boynton: Josh Bull

Raymond Boynton: Caleb Crack

Dragoman: Steven Jones

Colonel Carbery: Jon Lenthall

Hotel Guests/Locals: Naomi Jackson, Jon Lenthall, Karen Fahey, Lachlan West

PRODUCTION TEAM

Assistant Stage Manager: Lachlan West

Set Design: Rogan Brown, Scott Hunt

Lighting Design: Louise Stubs

Sound Design: Greg Gurr

Lighting/Audio Operation: Edward Lawless

Costume Coordinator: Robin Rheinberger

Properties: Karen Fahey

Set Construction: Rogan Brown, Scott Hunt

Wardrobe Assistants: Deb Dean, Helen Edwards, Karen Fahey, Julie Raphael, Kerry Smith, Margaret Woods

Graphic Design: Carolyn Whamond

Photography: Bob Linacre, Wayne Wagg

Program Editor: Moya Deigan

Appointment with Death was first published as a novel in 1938 and featured Hercule Poirot overhearing that famous line at a hotel in Jerusalem. The plot moves to Petra and Poirot (arrogantly?) Intends to solve the case in 24 hours.

In 1945, Christie adapted the story for the stage. The play version keeps the original title, but the identity of the killer is changed.  Gone too is Poirot.  Other characters also have their relationships changed somewhat.

Appointment with Death has been noted as being one of her most radical re-workings. It was

ABOUT THE PLAY

adapted as a 1988 film where the character of Poirot, played by Peter Ustinov, reappears in the story and a couple of characters are, once again, changed or eliminated. The title was used again in the television series starring David Suchet as Poirot.

Does it matter which version one reads or sees, or indeed if the culprit is known? P.G.Wodehouse, in a letter to Christie in 1969, wrote:

“I don’t find it spoils an Agatha Christie one bit ‘knowing the end’, because the characters are so interesting.”