Tamsin Oglesby’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1946 novel The Hollow offers all the pleasures of a traditional country-house mystery, with multiple romantic entanglements, eccentric aristocrats, concealed resentments and, inevitably, a dead body or two. In this new touring production, directed by Lucy Bailey, the period atmosphere is beautifully realised, and the cast bring warmth and distinction to Christie’s colourful characters.
Joanna Parker’s set design is a particular delight. The elegant conservatory, with its generous windows opening onto a lush garden, creates an inviting domestic backdrop that becomes increasingly sinister as the tensions foment.
The stylish period costumes, also by Parker, and Chris Davey’s atmospheric lighting complement the set, subtly shifting the mood as the unease builds. The production feels right at home in London’s historic Richmond Theatre, with its stunning interior, one of the best preserved examples of Frank Matcham’s theatrical architecture.
The Hollow review – quick links
Entering The Hollow
The story centres on a house party at The Hollow, the country pile of Sir Henry and Lady Lucy Angkatell. Sarah Moyle really shines as the lovely but batty Lady Lucy and Michael Praed is suitably understated as her aristocratic husband. The apparent confusions of Lady Lucy give the production some of its lighter moments and comedic touches.
Luke Allen-Gale is strong as the charming cad Dr John Cristow, caught between his timid but utterly devoted wife, Gerda, and his vibrant lover, the artist Henrietta. (Allen-Gale does double-duty after interval as Inspector Colquhoun.) Tilly Steele is endearing as Gerda and Victoria Blunt shines as Henrietta, polished and intelligent but still with her own insecurities.
Kemi-Bo Jacobs gives a delightfully over-the-top performance as Cristow’s former lover Veronica Craye and Grace Darling plays Midge with a pleasing combination of poise, articulation, and warmth.
At its heart is Hercule Poirot, but here Peter Polycarpou is a little less engaging as the great Belgian detective than the drama unfolding around him.
The Poirot legacy
This is a role that is now inevitably overshadowed by the 70 episodes of Poirot played by David Suchet. (It’s a curious coincidence that David Suchet is playing Thomas a Becket in Murder in the Cathedral just down the road at St John the Divine for Orange Tree Theatre.)
Polycarpou manages the accent, the moustache, and the walking cane, but his performance feels at times more like an impersonation than a fully realised dramatic interpretation; he has all the gestural qualities of a Poirot but without much sense of the inner man. Interestingly, when Christie wrote her own stage adaptation of The Hollow in 1951 she removed Poirot from the story completely.
As Agatha Christie fans appreciate, these stories are more than just simple whodunnits. They are really concerned with motivation and emotion, secret desires and unrequited love, moral uncertainties and the complicated loyalties that bind people together, even if they have good reasons to turn against one another.
These elements take some time to establish, so the pacing, especially in the first half, feels a little slow; a little more momentum would help build the intrigue towards the final resolution.
Richmond Theatre has established quite a following for its Christie plays with Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile over the last couple of years. The Hollow may be a little more thoughtful than those adventures, offering a considered country house drama.
The production’s visual elegance and strong performances make this an enjoyable evening of classic theatrical mystery. And if you are a Christie aficionado, don’t miss the excellent exhibition Agatha Christie: A World of Mystery that has just opened at the British Library.
