Fiddlers Three

Fiddlers Three is a two act play written by Agatha Christie in 1972 which premiered at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford on 1 Aug 1972 before going on a tour of the provinces.

The play is a reworked version of an earlier play Fiddlers Five, which toured briefly in 1971 after opening in Southsea. After the tour, Christie pushed for the play to be performed, much against the wishes of her daughter, Rosalind Hicks, who was protective of her mother's reputation and felt that this production would damage it. Edmund Cork worked out a compromise where the play would be reworked and the new play given a tryout before proceeding to the West End. Christie agreed to this and accordingly, Allan Davis was appointed as the director and he set about revising the script although Christie, despite her ill health, continued to take an active role in the process. Among the major changes was the amalgamation of some lead characters, resulting in Fiddlers Three instead of Fiddlers Five.

Despite her frailty, Christie attended the opening night at Guildford with her husband Max Mallowan and met the cast as was her custom. The play went on make a tour of the provinces but did not go on to the West End. A second 20-week tour was mounted in 1973 by James Verner but this again did not go on to the West End.

Plot summary

Trying to get their hands on more than a little inheritance, a group of young people hide the body of a dead tycoon. But what starts as a lark quickly becomes all too serious when they discover that the body is in fact a murder victim. A comedy about business and finance, with a strong undercurrent of criminal activity, the play combines humour, intricate plotting and a confounding murder.

Characters

• Gina Jones
• Sally Blunt
• Sam Fletcher
• Felix Bogusian
• Henry Panhacker
• Jonathan Panhacker
• An Air Hostess
• Dr Nolan
• A Waiter
• Mr Trustcott
• Mr Moss

Setting

The action takes place between the offices of Fletcher Developments, near Victoria and a private suite at a Bognor Regis Hotel.

Cast of 1972 tour

• Director - Allan Davis
• Doris Hare as Sally Blunt
• Raymond Francis as Sam Fletcher
• Gábor Baraker as Felix Bogusian
• Mark Wing-Davey as Henry Panhacker
• John Boswall as Jonathan Panhacker
• Julia Knight as Gina Jones
• Suzanne Barrett as Air Hostess
• Daphne Newton as Dr Nolan
• Bruce Montague as A Waiter
• Arthur Howard as Mr Trustcott
• George Lacey as Mr Moss

Cast of 1973 tour

(partial)

• Peggy Mount
• Raymond Francis
• Tom Browne
• Georgina Moon
• George Lacy
• Gabor Baraker
• Suzanne Barrett
• James Grant Anderson