Black Coffee at Theatre Palisades

Agatha Christie's master detective Hercule Poirot appears in 33 novels, a slew of movies (where he's been played by Peter Ustinov, Tony Randall and Albert Finney), tons more TV (where David Suchet and Alfred Molina had the honors) but only one play. Now Theatre Palisades brings the dapper Belgian and his "little gray cells" to the stage in Christie's thriller Black Coffee. In this suspenseful mystery, the charming and ingenious Poirot is summoned by England's most prominent physicist, Sir Claud Amory, who fears that someone in his household is attempting to steal his latest discovery, a formula critical to England's defense. Poirot and Captain Hastings rush to get there, but upon arrival they find that Amory's been murdered, his formula's missing and anyone in his country house -- full of visiting relatives and friends -- could have been responsible. Ken MacFarlane directs.