Jesus star makes his own Poirot on Coventry stage

Robert Powell, who was nominated for a BAFTA for starring as Jesus in the 1977 television series Jesus of Nazareth, spoke to the Courier before the Agatha Christie Company’s production of Black Coffee comes to the Belgrade from tonight (Tuesday May 6) until Saturday (May 10).

Playing the famous detective Poirot, Robert says the tour has been playing to packed houses - although “some audiences are a little bit quicker than others” when watching the clever tale, which sees an English country estate thrown into chaos following the murder of an eccentric inventor.

Robert said: “When they offered me the part, I had never read an Agatha Christie novel. So I read her first one and realised she’s a great writer.

“This play is an extraordinary piece of theatre. It’s very funny, which takes the audience by surprise. They are used to David Suchet’s Poirot, which people tell me was very serious.

“I never saw Suchet in his role. It has to be your own personality that embodies the character. Suchet famously stuck something up his bottom to achieve a certain walk - but I wasn’t going to do anything like that.”

Tickets from 024 7655 3055 or www.belgrade.co.uk