International Agatha Christie Festival

08/06/2026

The new Poirot actor has been announced!

"My Lady Jane" star Edward Bluemel is taking on the iconic role of Detective Hercule Poirot in a new drama series from the BBC and BritBox.

27/05/2026

26/05/2026

🌊🕵️‍♀️ Queen of the Crime Waves

Ahead of the swim weekend, Matt (the Creative Director of the Agatha Christie Festival) is leading a swim-themed walk on the morning of Saturday 13 June as part of the English Riviera Walking Festival. The walk will explore some of Agatha Christie’s favourite beaches in Torquay, with optional swim stops along the way,

This inspiring guided experience follows the South West Coast Path from Beacon Cove, once Torquay’s Ladies Only bathing beach, before continuing to Peak Tor Cove, the former Gentlemen’s bathing beach. Guests will then head to dramatic Meadfoot Beach for refreshments and an optional swim, before reaching beautiful Ansteys Cove, one of Agatha’s cherished childhood spots, for an alfresco lunch and perhaps another dip in the sea. ☀️🏖️

It promises to be a unique and unforgettable morning of history, storytelling, optional sea swimming and spectacular coastal scenery.

Only a handful of tickets remain, so don’t miss out! 🎟️

Agatha Christie regularly swam at beaches across the English Riviera – she described it as ‘one of the joys of her life’ There is no one better qualified than Matt Newbury to host a tour that takes his guests to Agatha’s favourite beaches in Torquay. Not only is he the Creative Director of t...

22/05/2026

Summer is on it's way, as it the Agatha Christie Swim Weekend! Come and join us if you are a confident sea swimmer and come and support Rowcroft Hospice and the Agatha Christie Festival Charity.

Thanks to our friends at Torbay Weekly for this lovely feature.

Open-water swimmers will be able to tackle two iconic sea routes for the first time as the Agatha Christie Sea Swim expands into a full summer weekend raising funds for local charities.

20/05/2026

🔎🕵️‍♀️ Our friends in Wallingford are hosting their wonderful Agatha Christie Mystery Weekend this weekend (Friday 22 May to Sunday 24 May), marking the 50th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s death at Winterbrook House.

✨ There’s a fantastic programme of events taking place across the weekend, including:

🚶 Guided walks
🧁🔍 A Cupcakes and Crime Quiz
🕵️ A Drop-in Murder Mystery Night at Wallingford Museum
🎭 The Sinodun Players production of Murder, Margaret and Me
at the Corn Exchange
🗺️ A Town Treasure Trail
✍️ A Creative Writing Competition
📚 Author events at Wallingford Bookshop

You can also enjoy two excellent exhibitions at the museum: At Home with the Queen of Crime and Agatha Christie’s Wallingford.

Download the full programme here: https://www.wallingfordmuseum.org.uk/events

Come and join us if you can! 🎭🕯️



Wallingford Museum
Wallingford Town Council
The Wallingford Bookshop
Corn Exchange Wallingford
Sinodun Players

14/05/2026

📺 Hidden Treasures of the National Trust is back tomorrow (Friday 15 May) and featuring Agatha Christie's holiday home Greenway.

Meet the team as crucial conservation work takes place on a fragile family heirloom and wartime wall painting, alongside Max Gate, home of author Thomas Hardy, where a delicate sundial is in need of careful repair.

Go behind the scenes with us and watch it the first episode live at 9pm on BBC Two, Friday 15 May, or catch up on BBC iPlayer.

National Trust South Devon
English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark
Agatha Christie
The English Riviera

12/05/2026

🌊🕵️‍♀️ Queen of the Crime Waves

As part of the English Riviera Walking Festival, Agatha Christie Festival Creative Director Matt Newbury will lead The Queen of Crime Waves on Saturday 13 June, a stunning coastal walk exploring some of Agatha Christie’s favourite beaches in Torquay.

This inspiring guided experience follows the South West Coast Path from Beacon Cove, once Torquay’s Ladies Only bathing beach, before continuing to Peak Tor Cove, the former Gentlemen’s bathing beach. Guests will then head to dramatic Meadfoot Beach for refreshments and an optional swim, before reaching beautiful Ansteys Cove, one of Agatha’s cherished childhood spots, for an alfresco lunch and perhaps another dip in the sea. ☀️🏖️

It promises to be a unique and unforgettable morning of history, storytelling, optional sea swimming and spectacular coastal scenery.

Only a handful of tickets remain, so don’t miss out! 🎟️

Book here: https://rivierawalking.co.uk/walk/swimming-with-agatha-christie/

Agatha Christie
Torbay Weekly
The English Riviera

Agatha Christie regularly swam at beaches across the English Riviera – she described it as ‘one of the joys of her life’ There is no one better qualified than Matt Newbury to host a tour that takes his guests to Agatha’s favourite beaches in Torquay. Not only is he the Creative Director of t...

11/05/2026

🚨 Just a heads up that several more of our events are now very close to selling out, so if you’re thinking of joining us, don’t miss out! 🎟️

🎭 For our Fringe Festival, we have remaining:

1 ticket for Agatha Christie’s Mysterious Dartmoor 🔍
20 tickets for the 11:30 From Paignton (steam train and boat adventure) 🚂

📚 For our Literary Festival, we have remaining:

13 day tickets for Friday 18 September
1 day ticket for Saturday 19 September ⚠️
10 tickets for Lucy Foley – Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel 🏔️🔪

✨ Other events that are also running low on tickets include

Amber Butchart: The Forensic Fashion of Agatha Christie 👗, John Mallowan: Agatha the Photographer 📸, Sally and Tony Hope: Agatha Christie: Plots, Clues and Misdirections 🕵️, The Swinging Christies Live 🎶 and the Agatha Christie’s Greatest Narrator panel event 🎤

❤️ Thank you all for your amazing support of this year’s Festival!

https://www.iacf-uk.org/festival-2026

10/05/2026

We will be watching! 🤩

10/05/2026

Auditions today!

AUDITION NOTICE: THE MIRROR CRACK’D

Play by: Agatha Christie (adapted by Rachel Wagstaff)
Directed by: Maggie Campbell

Auditions are being held this Sunday for our 2026 Agatha Christie, “The Mirror Crack’d”

In 1960s England, a wind of change is blowing through the land. It has even reached the sleepy village of St Mary Mead. There’s a new housing estate to make the villagers curious and fearful, and now the village has been thrown into a frenzy by the news that a glamorous American film star has bought the Manor House. Miss Jane Marple, confined to a chair after an accident, is wondering if life has passed her by. Then there is a vicious murder, and Miss Marple must unravel a web of lies, tragedy and danger. This adaptation of Agatha Christie’s famous novel brings real emotional depth and psychological insight to a thrilling story of revenge and dark secrets.

Audition pieces:
Dolly: Pages 19-22 and 81-84.
Marina: Pages 91-94 and long speech on page 56.
Lola: Pages 68-74.
Cherry: Pages 2-8.
Cyril and Heather: Pages 112-113 and 97-98.
Jason: Pages 14-17 and speech on page 108.
Ella: Pages 27 and 89.
Craddock and Marple: Pages 11-17, but may be needed to read in with other characters

Scripts will be available on the day, or in our Box Office (open 10am-12pm Tuesday to Friday)

Please note you do not need to be a member to attend this audition