The Stage

Exclusive: David Suchet ponders Poirot stage role

Published Thursday 15 April 2010 at 11:05 by Matthew Hemley

David Suchet is considering bringing his portrayal of Hercule Poirot to the stage, under plans to adapt one of Agatha Christie’s detective novels for the theatre.

The actor, who has appeared as the Belgian detective on television since 1989, told The Stage discussions are taking place about a live version of Poirot and whether or not it happens rests with him.

“There is talk about this and I am in debate at the moment, not with them [the producers] but in my own mind, as to whether to take Poirot on to the stage,” he said.

“There is part of me that is quite keen to do it. Jeremy Brett did it with Sherlock Holmes and had a very nice time, but Poirot has always been, for me, someone on the screen. However, I could be persuaded either way.”

Suchet, who is about to open in a new West End production of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons and will shortly be seen on screen in Sky One’s Going Postal, said he would not want to appear in a new play featuring Poirot and would only do it if it was based on an existing Christie novel. He also ruled out Christie’s own Poirot play, Black Coffee, which was written in 1930.

“I don’t want to be in a country-house drama as Poirot on the stage,” he said. “If we did it, it would have to be a huge story with a fantastic set, and it would have to be really worthwhile doing. We don’t want another whodunnit to run for 30 years, we don’t want another Mousetrap.”

The actor said Poirot would only be brought to the stage with him as the lead, claiming the public would not want to see another performer take the role. However, he said he did not know when the stage production was likely to happen.

He added: “After All My Sons there are a couple of other theatre things on the horizon and it’s a question of where we jigsaw it. But yes, it could be exciting.”