Review: BLACK COFFEE at Theatre On The Bay

I genuinely do love a good whodunnit, and Agatha Christie is always entertaining with her great plot twists and delightfully strange characters. Pieter Toerien's offering of BLACK COFFEE certainly has everything you could want from a Christie murder mystery - the intrigue, the laughs and the big "ah hah!" moment at the end. And Alan Committee as Poirot is just delightful!

I didn't actually know the story of BLACK COFFEE going into the show, so it was a great thrill to be surprised at the twists and turns of the plot. It's a great setup, with everyone having a motive and everyone having some form of opportunity. I won't go into any more detail because I don't want to give away spoilers.

What I can talk about is how the cast kept the story and the intrigue moving along at a solid pace. This meant that the reveals came at all the rights times, keeping the audience on its toes as the plot unfolded. At the centre of it all was the eccentric and hilarious detective Hercule Poirot - beautifully portrayed by Alan Committee. (Yes, I know, I'm repeating myself - but honestly, I loved Committee in this role).

I think director Alan Swerdlow did a wonderful job of keeping the suspense right up until the end, and leaning into the excellent comedy that is inherent in the script. Christie plays are meant to be funny, with the characters all being a little (or a lot) "out there". I was so happy that Swerdlow and the cast leant into the comedy and just went for it. I was so busy giggling away that didn't apply myself to the mystery and the murderer at the end came as a welcome surprise. This play is thoroughly entertaining.

Agatha Christie’s BLACK COFFEE runs at Theatre On The Bay from 19 March until 26 April, before transferring to Montecasino Theatre from 30 April until 1 June, 2025. Tickets range between R180 – R300 and can be booked via Webtickets.

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