AGATHA Christie, the queen of crime, branched into writing plays because she was unhappy with how an established playwright portrayed her dapper Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in adapting The Murder of Roger Ackroyd for the stage.
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Christie's first play, Black Coffee, was written in 1929, and featured Poirot as she believed he should be depicted for theatre audiences.
Newcastle actor and director Timothy Blundell came across Black Coffee in a play catalogue, read it, and suggested it to Adamstown's Theatre on Brunker.
Black Coffee will have a four-weekend season at Theatre on Brunker's venue, St Stephen's Anglican Church Hall, from August 28.
In Black Coffee, reclusive physicist Sir Claud Amory discovers that his written formula for a new type of explosive has disappeared.
Amory calls Poirot and asks him to come to his home outside London to find the culprit.
But before Poirot arrives, Amory drops dead after drinking a poisoned cup of coffee.
So Poirot is faced with a double task: establishing who stole the formula and who murdered Amory.
David Gubbay plays Poirot with Richard Murray as his personable friend and assistant Arthur Hastings.
Gubbay sees Poirot as a "loveable know-all" character.
"He has an analytical mind," he said.
"In just about every question he asks, you can hear the wheels going on in his mind.
"And his obsession with neatness helps him to solve the problems.
"He notices, for example, that a vase is not standing as straight as it should."
The biggest challenge for Gubbay is Poirot's voice.
"English is not his first language and he uses strange expressions."
In keeping with Poirot's appearance, David Gubbay has been growing a moustache, which will be waxed before the show opens.
■ Black Coffee at Theatre on Brunker on Friday and Saturday from August 28 to September 19. Dinner and show is $45 from 7pm, or show only $22, (concession $18) at 8pm. Show-only matinee on Sunday, September 13, at 2pm. Bookings: phone 4956 1263.