Agatha Christie’s The Hollow – The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

Writer: Agatha Christie

Adaptator: Tamsin Oglesby

Director: Lucy Bailey

There’s a cosy sense of nostalgia about watching an Agatha Christie novel being brought to life on the stage.  Her characters feel familiar and this, combined with the gentle drip of clues or red herrings as the story unfolds must be a huge reason why audiences continue to enjoy productions of her work, 80 years after their original publication. Tamsin Oglesby’s new version of the Hercule Poirot mystery, ‘The Hollow’ manages to deliver the nostalgia of a traditional Christie whodunnit, but with just enough humour, pathos and theatricality to keep a modern audience gripped throughout.

Joanna Parker’s set is the ubiquitous country home drawing room, complete with comfortable seating, writing bureau and grandfather clock, but from the outset, it is the striking modern sculpture of a woman’s torso, seductively lit centre stage, that signals that this production is going to deliver more than just a cosy detective story. Oglesby’s script and Lucy Bailey’s direction allows the audience to gradually understand each character, enabling them to puzzle out the steady flow of clues: and, with hindsight, there are many.  Nick Powell’s underscore of key moments is inherently familiar, but it cleverly directs the audience’s understanding of a character’s flaws or secrets.

As one of the lesser-known Christie stories, there is much to be on high-alert for, as the characters, as well as being eccentric, are pleasantly complex. The cast as a whole is outstanding, each bringing a personal take to Christie’s characters.  While there is a familiarity to James Clyde as Gudgeon, the butler; Kemi-Bo Jacobs as Veronica Craye, the famous American actress, and Grace Darling as Midge, the feisty, independent young woman of the family, none of them ever feels predictable.  Peter Polycarpou is quintessentially Poirot, but without ever feeling stereotypical. He embraces his dry humour and sense of fun with perfect timing; the clipped Belgian accent doesn’t slip, and his careful mannerisms feel as if we are watching the real deal. Sarah Moyle as Lady Lucy Angkatell, the lady of the house, is delightfully batty and genuinely funny in her chaotic, no-nonsense approach.  Victoria Blunt, as Henrietta Angkatell, the hosts’ younger, unmarried cousin, brings a confidence through her modern art, as well as a vulnerability that is genuinely moving.  There is literally no weak link here.

As Christie’s great-grandson, James Prichard says, “The Hollow is a good example of one of her stories which prioritised psychology and what drives people over the more traditional puzzle”.  The layers to her characters, and how they relate to each other, are what makes the plot so absorbing, and it is beautifully brought to life in this traditional, yet contemporary, production.

Runs until Saturday 17 October 2026 and then tours