AGATHA CHRISTIE

Agatha Christie is the best-selling writer of all time, Shakespeare included—with sales of more than four billion books in 103 languages, making her also the most translated author in the world.

Many of her works have been made into popular movies, the all-star Murder on the Orient Express for example, for which Ingrid Bergman won the supporting-actress Oscar, and into numerous TV series, including the current Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot mysteries imported from England.

Among her dozen or so highly successful West End and Broadway productions, The Mousetrap is the longest running play in theater history. It opened in London in 1952 and is running there to this day, after about 24,000 performances. 

She was born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller on September 15, 1890, in Torquay, Devon, England. Her mother was the daughter of a British army captain and her father an American stockbroker. She had a sister, Madge, and a brother, Monty, both a decade or so older than Agatha.

During World War I, she worked as a hospital nurse. She called the work “one of the most rewarding professions that anyone can follow.” She later worked at a hospital pharmacy, where she began to accumulate a handy knowledge of poisons.

On Christmas Eve 1914 Agatha Miller married Archibald Christie, an aviator in the Royal Flying Corps. They had a daughter, Rosalind, and it was during this marriage, in 1920, that she published her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Hercule Poirot’s first case. Her marriage to Christie ended in divorce after Agatha discovered he was having an affair, in 1926.

On December 8, the couple quarreled, Archie left to spend the weekend with his mistress, and Agatha disappeared the same night leaving a cryptic note saying she was going to Yorkshire. Agatha’s mysterious disappearance caused a public outcry.

She was found eleven days later at a Yorkshire hotel registered as “Mrs. Neele from Cape Town.” The name of her husband's mistress was Nancy Neele. Many believed she had had a nervous breakdown. Many resented her for staging a publicity stunt. And others believed she was trying, as revenge for his affair, to make police think her husband had killed her. Agatha never explained.  

In 1930, she married archaeologist Max Mallowan. Theirs was by all accounts a long happy marriage. Her travels with him provided backgrounds for several novels set in the Middle East; for example, the popular Death on the Nile (the movie version starred Peter Ustinov as Poirot, with Bette Davis, David Niven, Angela Lansbury, George Kennedy, Mia Farrow, and Maggie Smith.)

During World War II, Agatha worked in the hospital pharmacy of University College, London, where she expanded her understanding of poisons. Her very modern use of thallium to do the trick was described in such accurate detail that her use of it in 1961 in The Pale Horse helped real doctors solve a baffling case (the first symptom is hair loss).  

To honor her literary accomplishments, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1956, and was promoted to Dame Commander in 1971—three years after her husband was knighted for his archeological work.

In 1971, Agatha’s health began to fail. Recently, researchers in Canada have suggested that she was beginning to sense the onset of Alzheimer’s. Sensing her increasing weakness, she signed over the rights of The Mousetrap to her grandson, Mathew Prichard—who is still associated with Agatha Christie Limited.

Agatha Christie died from natural causes January 12, 1976, at age 85, at her Winterbrook House in Cholsey Parish. She is buried nearby in the churchyard of St. Mary’s, Cholsey.

SOURCES

The Tuesday Club Murders (published in England as The 13 Problems) (1932) Miss Marple:
 "The Idol House of Astarte" and "The Four Suspects"
The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (1939) Hercule Poirot: "The Dream"
And for our short play "Getting Away With Murder"
quotes were taken from the following Agatha Christie novels and short stories:
Three Act Tragedy, 4:50 From Paddington, "The Thumbprint of St. Peter," "Miss Marple Tells a Story,"
Elephants Can Remember, Taken at the Flood, The Hollow, Sleeping Murder, After the Funeral, "The Four Suspects," Third Girl, and "The Mystery of the Bagdad Chest," 

Reviews and Comments about 
Literary Entertainments Readings and Plays

Diana Heinlein as Marple, Rick Heuthe as Poirot in CHRISTIE MYSTERIES

Tina Holinski, Assistant Library Manager and Children's Librarian: "I thoroughly enjoyed this program! The actors are expert! I love their British accents. The props and musical accompaniment complement the plays so beautifully and precisely. Bravo!" Erin L. Blatt, Programming and Outreach Librarian, Franklin Township Public Library, Somerset, NJ: "Our audience had nothing but kind things to say about the performance—interesting, fun, different, and engaging, to name a few." Jessica Ley, Program Coordinator, Port Washington Public Library: "As I would expect, the Christie show is another stellar production from David Houston and company. Top ratings in all categories." Yvette M. Postelle, Administrative Assistant, Adult Programs, Rogers Memorial Library, Southampton: "Very good;  Well received by the audience; very positive comments from the patrons as they left. A few actually mentioned that they were inspired to pick up and read some Agatha Christie novels again." Michelle Young, Program Director, Oceanside Library: "Excellent. David Houston's shows are as consistent as he is to work with: great every time."

David Houston as Noёl Coward, Rick Heuthe as Cole Porter in LET'S DO IT!