Audition Notice

Production Details

Title	Black Coffee
Written by	Agatha Christie
Director	Harry Harding
Reading	Monday 7 July 2025 at 7.30pm
Auditions	Monday 21 July 2025 at 7.30pm Thursday 24 July 2025 at 7.30pm If you are interested in taking part in this production but can not make the audition dates, please email us to register your interest.
Venue	The reading and auditions will take place at Incognito Theatre.
Rehearsals	Rehearsals will begin Sunday 17 August and then every Tuesday and Thursday at 7.30pm and Sunday, times to be confirmed.
Production	5 - 11 October 2025. Sunday performance starts at 6:00pm, all weekday performances start at 7.30pm, Saturday performances start at 2.30pm and 7:30pm.
Script Edition	Concord Theatricals Scripts will be made available to everyone at all readings and auditions and will be provided to those who are cast. You will not be expected to buy your own script.
Synopsis	Black Coffee is a play by the British crime-fiction author Agatha Christie. The first piece that Christie wrote for the stage, it launched a successful second career for her as a playwright. This three-act Poirot thriller – a superbly crafted whodunit with endless red herrings, subplots of infamous spies and an astonishingly prophetic storyline about weapons created through “bombarding the atom” – is one of Christie’s most gripping country house murder mysteries. In the play, a scientist discovers that someone in his household has stolen the formula for an explosive. The scientist calls the famous Belgian Detective Hercule Poirot to investigate, but is then murdered just as Poirot arrives with Hastings and Inspector Japp.

Cast Details

All characters (except those noted below) speak with an educated, ‘upper-class’ British accent.

Character	Age	Description
TREADWELL	M/F 20s ‑ 60s	Faithful servant who is the very picture of respectability and professionalism, but at the same time knows all “the dirty laundry” of their employers. DOUBLED WITH JOHNSON - Constable who assists Japp in the investigation.
SIR CLAUD AMROY	M 40s plus	Irascible Lord of the manor, who has no affection for his relatives and is devoted solely to his scientific discoveries. DOUBLED WITH INSPECTOR JAPP – In charge of the local police. He and Poirot have worked a previous case. He respects Poirot and Hastings very much. He’s not what you would call a polished man, a bit rough around the edges prone to saying what he thinks too loudly rather than being diplomatic. Nonetheless, he is respected as an officer of the law by both Poirot and Hastings. Decidedly working class, with his accent more rough and less polished.
(AUNT) CAROLINE AMORY	F 40s plus	Claud’s dotty younger, maiden sister who never stops talking. She is very conservative, innocent, and prone to not quite getting the full picture of what goes on around her. She has no idea that half of what she says is funny and often inappropriate.
RICHARD AMORY	M late 20s ‑ 30s	The only son of Claud Amory. He’d rather pursue a military career then be under his father’s thumb. He’s not stupid, but he’s not the scientific genius that his father is. Newly married, he is very much in love with his wife Lucia, who he married after a brief whirlwind courtship.
LUCIA AMORY	F 20s ‑ 30s	Richard’s half English and half-Italian wife who was largely raised throughout the European continent. She speaks perfect English with an English accent. She is devoted to her husband but has a mysterious past and is obviously hiding something.
BARBARA AMORY	F 20s ‑ 30s	Claud’s niece. She relies upon him for support as she is orphaned. She is a very modern young woman who speaks her mind, and who likes to live a bit on the wild side.
RAYNOR	M/F 20s ‑ 40s	Sir Claud’s faithful secretary. Observant and intelligent, and somewhat reserved. One of the few people who understands his scientific discoveries and can organize his notes. DOUBLED WITH DR. GRAHAM – Sir Claud’s doctor, and intelligent person who is not fooled by flattery or easily influenced. Very logical and capable of presenting the facts as they see them.
DR. CARELLI	M 30s ‑ 60s	A mysterious visitor who claims to be an old friend of Lucia’s family. Equally charming and suspicious. Speaks with an Italian accent.
HERCULE POIROT	M 40s plus	A famous detective from Belgium. Hired by Sir Claud to investigate a theft and death threats. He is effortlessly charming and disarming. He has a great sense of dry humour and a sense of the ironic.
CAPTAIN HASTINGS	M 40s plus	Poirot’s right-hand-man. Not quite as astute as Poirot, but by no means stupid. He often acts as Poirot’s sounding board and evaluates theories and offers conjecture. He has a great sense of humour and is generally good-natured.

Audition Pieces

Page numbers refer to the Concord edition of the play. Please state at the audition which part(s) you would like to be considered for.

No.	Charatcters	Script Reference
1.	Aunt Caroline, Lucia, Richard	pp.9-12 – From AUNT CAROLINE: “Shall I get you some smelling salts?” to LUCIA: “Anywhere – anywhere in the world! But away from this house! I’m afraid, Richard, I tell you I’m afraid. There are shadows – shadows everywhere.”
2.	Aunt Caroline, Barbara, and a bit of Lucia	pp.14-17 – From BARBARA:“Hello Lucia, are you all right now?” to BARBARA: “And a lot of old things from the dispensary were bundled into a box…. Be careful, Aunt Caroline. If you rouse my furious temper, I’ll poison your coffee with strychnine, and you’ll die!”
3,	Tredwell, Poirot	pp.33-34 – From TREDWELL: “I beg your pardon, sir. The master told me to lock this door until you arrived. The master–“ to TREDWELL: “Yes, sir. It wasn’t natural somehow… She had to leave the dinner table. Mr. Richard, he was very upset about it.”
4.	Richard, Poirot	pp.39-42 – From RICHARD: “Well, that’s about everything, I think. I hope I’ve made myself clear.” to POIROT: “I see.”
5.	Carelli, Poirot	pp.53-56 – From CARELLI: “I am glad you have sent for me, Monsieur Poirot. Had you not done so, I should myself have requested an interview.” to CARELLI: “I will tell you one thing more, Monsieur Poirot. There are women whom it is dangerous to drive too far.”
6.	Raynor, Poirot	pp.63-65 – From POIROT: “Now, Monsieur Raynor, let me hear what you have to tell me.” to RAYNOR: “I will send her to you.”
7.	Japp, Poirot	pp.77-78 – From JAPP: “You know Poirot, it’s good to see you again. Long time since we met. That Welsh case, wasn’t it? You could have knocked me down with a feather when I came in ten minutes ago and saw your funny mug.” to JAPP: “[…] I’d better have a few words with Mr. Richard Amory, I suppose, and then I’ll see this Dr. Carelli. Looks as though he were our man. But keep an open mind, that’s what I say, keep an open mind. You coming, Poirot?”
8.	Barbara, Hastings	pp.78-81 – From BARBARA: “What has blown in upon us? Is it the police?” to BARBARA: “Yes, it makes a girl feel hopeful.”
9.	Poirot, Hastings	pp.42-44 – From HASTINGS: “Poison!” to POIROT: “That sooner or later the thief will try to recapture his booty. That one or other of us must remain on guard…”
10.	Dr. Graham, Poirot, Richard	pp.48-51 – From GRAHAM: “I’m afraid this is bad business, Monsieur Poirot.” to POIROT: “Assuredly.”
11.	Lucia, Poirot	pp.68-71 – From POIROT: “Have you ever heard the name, Selma Goetz?” to POIROT: “Yes, yes, I still believe. Have courage. Tell me the truth. Did you take the formula?”
12.	Poirot, Aunt Caroline	pp.58-63 – From POIROT: “When Madame Amory came out of dinner feeling faint, did she go upstairs?” to AUNT CAROLINE: “He came in here with it in his hand. I remember he complained about the taste, said it was bitter. And I assure you, Monsieur Poirot, it was the very best coffee. A special mixture that I had ordered myself from the Army and Navy Stores.”
13.	Raynor, Richard, Carelli, Lucia, Barbara, Aunt Caroline, Sir Claud, Tredwell	pp.22-26 – From SIR CLAUD: “I have something to say to you all.” to SIR CLAUD: “The taste of that coffee is still in my – mouth.”