Three Act Tragedy 

When a vicar chokes to death on a cocktail while attending a party held by actor Sir Charles Cartwright, Poirot initially dismisses the idea of murder but reconsiders when another guest dies in the same manner.

Director:

Ashley Pearce

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel), Nick Dear (screenplay)

Stars:

David Suchet, Martin Shaw, Kimberley Nixon

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
Martin Shaw	...	Sir Charles Cartwright
Kimberley Nixon	...	Egg
Art Malik	...	Sir Bartholomew Strange
Suzanne Bertish	...	Miss Milray
Anastasia Hille	...	Cynthia Dacres
Ronan Vibert	...	Captain Dacres
Kate Ashfield	...	Miss Wills
Jane Asher	...	Lady Mary
Anna Carteret	...	Mrs Babbington
Nigel Pegram	...	Reverend Babbington
Tom Wisdom	...	Oliver Manders
Michael Hobbs	...	Coroner
Jodie McNee	...	Annie
James Hurran	...	French Boy

Storyline

The inoffensive Reverend Babbington chokes to death at a cocktail party he is attending with his wife at the home of famous actor Sir Charles Cartwright. Some time later Sir Bartholomew Strange, an eminent doctor and friend of Cartwright, also dies of poisoning at a dinner party he is giving miles away. There appears to be no link between the two deaths but Poirot, assisted by Cartwright, offers to help Superintendent Crossfield in the investigation and discovers that a mysterious butler with a birthmark on his wrist was hired for the night and appeared to share a joke with the dead doctor. This man has now vanished and would seem to the killer. A third death, that of a sanatorium patient who has written to Poirot, would appear to link to the doctor's murder and there is certainly a secret which somebody will go to any lengths to conceal - but who would gain from the death of a harmless old vicar?

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Plot Keywords:

cocktail | butler | vicar | hercule poirot | exhumation | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

19 June 2011 (USA)

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

ITV Studios,WGBH,Agatha Christie

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 89 min (DVD) 89 min (9 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cartwright's sitting room in Cornwall is actually Rolf Engstromer's entrance hall at Eltham Palace. The same room (and indeed the exterior) stood in for Wode Hall when the same production company made their version of "Death On The Nile" in 2004.

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Goofs

Tender of locomotive, in three scenes bears a British Railways insignia.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sir Charles Cartwright: Ready about. Go about.

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Connections

References Appointment with Death (2008)

User Reviews

Three Act Tragedy

This one took a while to get going and the director had to resort to various visual flourishes to recreate Poirot's thoughts.

Martin Shaw almost steps in to the Hastings role here. Shaw plays Sir Charles Cartwright, a famous actor who holds a party where a vicar dies after sipping a drink. Although Poirot was present, there seems to be nothing untowards his death.

In another party where Sir Charles was not present, his friend Sir Bartholomew Strange dies after sipping a drink. This time Poirot investigates even though there is no poison in the glass, Poirot thinks the two deaths might be connected.

Sir Charles helps Poirot investigate the crime and the reveal takes place in the theatre.

There is rather a starry cast but most of the characters are painted rather bland and the epsiode needed to be faster paced.