A FESTIVAL celebrating the Queen of Crime takes place in her home town in September
The Agatha Christie Festival is a nine-day celebration of the Torquay-born crime author, which takes place across Torbay from September 7 to 15. An exciting five-day Fringe Festival is followed by a four-day Literary Festival and includes high-profile speakers and performances, as well as fun and quirky literary-themed events in unusual places. This year’s Fringe Festival opens with "Sparkling Cyanide - A Scintillating Soiree!” at the Brixham Theatre, which is a night of vintage cabaret and burlesque courtesy of The Lucky 7 Club.
Other theatrical treats include Murder, She Didn’t Write at Paignton’s Palace Theatre, which is an improvised murder mystery show that has won multiple awards and sells out every year at the Edinburgh Festival.
Other Fringe Festival highlights include underground cinema at Kents Caven, a Murder Mystery at Paignton Zoo, a Sparkling Tea on the Terrace at the Redcliffe Hotel and an Agatha Christie-themed Model Railway at Torre Abbey, that was featured in the TV series, The Great Model Railway Challenge.
The festival organisers are also running minibuses to Greenway and hosting a tea and cake event at All Saints' Church in Torre where Agatha Miller was baptised.
Creative director of the Agatha Christie Festival, Matt Newbury said: ‘This year’s Festival is looking like one of the biggest ever, with more than 50 events on sale right across the Bay and beyond.
‘It’s a real celebration of Agatha Christie’s remarkable legacy and continues to attract visitors from right across the world. It will be another step towards our goal of making Torbay as associated with Agatha Christie as Stratford is with Shakespeare. ‘
The Literary Festival will be held in the Torre Abbey’s Spanish Barn with an impressive line-up of speakers talking about various aspects of Agatha’s life and works, as well as the genre of crime fiction.
Opening the Literary Festival is a very special headline guest, Lynda La Plante, who will be launching her memoir, Getting Away with Murder: My Unexpected Life on Page, Stage and Screen.
The packed programme continues with Christie experts, academics and enthusiasts, as well as authors discussing every possible aspect of Agatha’s life, from her travels to her book covers, to the use of jewellery or the role of doctors in her novels.
The Literary Festival closes with special guests, Ragnar Jónasson (Dark Iceland series) and Benjamin Stevenson (Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone) chatting to Jake Kerridge about their love of Agatha Christie and her influences on their work.
Fore more inforrnation and details on how to book tickets, head to the website www.agathachristiefestival.com