Agatha Christie Trivia

On an occasional basis, I intend to share little snippets of Agatha Christie trivia with the visitors to my Agatha Christie website.

The first ten bits of trivia that will be appearing soon are as follows:


Regrettably, Agatha Christie never did actually say ‘The very best husband a woman can have is an archaeologist because the older she becomes the more interested he is in her.’

Her second marriage, to archaeologist Max Mallowan, took place in St Columba’s Church, Edinburgh.

Husband and wife team of Richard Attenborough and Sheila Sim played the two leads in the original production of ‘The Mousetrap.’

Agatha Christie based Miss Marple upon the character of Caroline Sheppard in ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.’

Her uncle Edward trained as a medical student, but had to give it up as he couldn’t stand the sight of blood.

She broke her engagement to a young man called Reggie Lucy in order to marry Archie Christie

Agatha Christie once chloroformed a hedgehog that had got entangled in a tennis net in order to set it free.

She considered ‘The Mystery of the Blue Train’ ‘commonplace, full of clichés, with an uninteresting plot’.

On her first journey on the Orient Express, Agatha got badly bitten by bedbugs.

Charles Laughton was the first person to play Hercule Poirot in the stage play ‘Alibi.’

Witness For The Prosecution

I watched witness for the prosecution with a friend recently and I had forgotten just how good it is. A fabulous twisty plot, of course, but also excellent acting, especially from the wonderful Charles Laughton and his real-life wife Elsa Lanchester.

The transition from stage play to the big screen is not always entirely successful, but I think witness for the prosecution managed to perfectly balance the intimacy of the theatre with some wider-ranging scenes.

Of course, it was directed by the great Billy Wilder, so a highly polished production is only to be expected and witness for the prosecution has really achieved the status of a classic.

My friend had never seen Witness for the Prosecution before and she thoroughly enjoyed it, being completely taken in by Dame Agatha’s devious plotting.

For more information on Witness For The Prosecution and to view a great clip from the film, visit the main All About Agatha Christie Website.

Click Here To Visit The Witness For The Prosecution Website Page

Agatha Christie's Fondest Memories

On the very last page of her autobiography, Agatha Christie refers to, ‘Two summits of ambition fulfilled.’ I mention one of these – ‘the proud ownership of a bottle-nosed Morris – a car of my own!’ - on the main website page that discusses ‘The Man in the Brown Suit.’ It was the money she received for the serial rights of this novel that enabled her to make this exciting purchase.



Later, of course, Agatha Christie must have been fabulously wealthy and there would not be many things she would not be able to afford. However, the second outstanding moment of her life was something that money cannot buy – dining with the Queen. Agatha explains why these two events made such an indelible impression on her:

‘Both of these happenings, you see, had something of a fairytale quality about them. They were things that I thought could never happen to me: to have a car of my own, and to dine with the Queen of England.’

I find it extremely touching that with all her wealth, and with all the adulation she received, these two very different – and in materialistic terms, very simple – things, were amongst her fondest memories.

And as Her Majesty passes her eightieth birthday, it is interesting to speculate whether, as she look back over her life, her meeting with Dame Agatha ranks as one of her special moments.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all to find that it does.

Factory Space presents 'The Hollow' at the Star of the Sea Theatre, Manly, Australia.

Agatha Christie's murder mystery play 'The Hollow' will open at the Star of the Sea Theatre, Manly on November 2nd.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Agatha Christie's death. Well known as the best selling fiction writer of all time, Christie was also a very successful playwright. Her most famous work 'The Mousetrap', opened in 1952 and is still showing in London - the world's longest continuously running play.


Adapted for the stage by the Queen of Crime herself from one of her own books, Christie's 'The Hollow' premiered in London in 1951. This year, it has again delighted UK audiences, as the first production of the new Agatha Christie Theatre Company.

'The Hollow' is a classic Christie murder mystery: ingenious and witty with a fascinating collection of characters whose fears are real and whose passions run deep.

Guests assemble for a weekend in the country. Its members joined by blood, marriage, lust and money, the party masks a tangled web of secret jealousies and desires. At the centre is the dashing John Cristow, his current mistress, his ex-lover and his wife. Someone is murdered. Everyone is suspect. Inspector Colquhoun and Sergeant Penny of Scotland Yard arrive and, secret by secret, the web unravels.

The cast includes Sylvia Allewelt, Bronwen Gault, Amelia Longhurst, Daniel McCallum, Ben Mclaine, Belinda Marques, Kath Perry, Alan Popely and Adam Salter. The play is directed by Roz Riley for Factory Space and designed by Hecate.

(Critics'comments on the 2006 UK production by The Agatha Christie Theatre Co:"I loved every minute of it. So did the people around me." Daily Telegraph "Christie's tale twists and turns, throwing up red herrings left and right. Brilliant!" Evening Telegraph "For Christie fans this is a must!" Windsor Observer)

Factory Space is resident at Star of the Sea Theatre in Manly and celebrates its 10th year as an independent theatre company in 2006. This is the final production in this year's season of four plays and three play readings.

Information about the 2007 season will be available in November at www.factoryspace.org or by calling 02 9439 1906.

The Hollow' Star of the Sea Theatre, corner Collingwood St and Iluka Avenue, Manly. Opens Thursday 2 November. Plays Thurs-Sat to 18 November at 7:30 pm, Sunday 5 November at 2pm and Sunday 12 November at 5:00 pm Tickets $28/$23. Group discounts and School parties by arrangement. Info and Bookings: 02 9439 1906. Media Contact: Kath Perry 02 8920 8980