Agatha Christie Becomes the Play in Rep’s Show

Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents Mrs. Christie April 14 – May 10, 2026. Pictured L to R: William Sturdivant and Alex Keiper. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

A century ago, Agatha Christie was already a renowned mystery writer, noted for memorable murder plots, British prototypes and puzzling circumstances. She was so famous and revered that there was worldwide speculation about her never-explained 11-day disappearance in 1926 — though tabloid minds seized on an errant husband and another woman as the cause. (Thank heaven the internet wasn’t around.)

In 1979, I reviewed the dramatic thriller about that disappearance starring Dustin Hoffman and Vanessa Redgrave, a film concocting an Agatha who figures out a way to kill herself and her rival. Serious stuff, with some romance thrown in.

Today comes a Wisconsin World Premiere, Mrs. Christie, on the Rep’s mainstage. But this time it is more a comedic fantasy pretending to more meaning and depth than are actually present.

It is notable for sweeping, gaudy production elements and a fanciful veneer of Christie-tinged dialogue and hysterics.

It involves a modern counterpart for Agatha who meets the real Christie, a dreamlike perpetual motion in time and an extraordinary technical showcase, particularly for scenic designer Se Hyun Oh. He pounces on the new Checota Powerhouse Theater’s turntable possibilities for revolving sets and bushes, plus a compelling, surrealistic overlay.

Mayhem is contemplated over fancy dinners or seaside bathtubs. Bookshelves are unveiled with a flourish. Lighting, costumes and sound effects war for attention. It’s like Salvador Dalí meets Alfred Hitchcock. It is hard to believe this staging and ensemble looked this good when just done by co-producer Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, a more familiar home for stage-savvy director Joanie Schultz.

The Rep is actually ending its season with a satiation of the Dame — exhibits, movies and a finale based on one of Christie’s most famous mysteries.

The acoustics of the Checota and the affectation of British dialects are put to the test for an experienced cast – and a playwright who is also a noted actress with more Wisconsin showcases ahead: Heidi Armbruster. Her instincts and amusing concepts are usually worth savoring though here I think she is trying too hard. Were it not for the current Agatha Christie fever, I doubt we would hear much more about this play. It needs all that technical overlay to keep us engaged for two acts.

Mrs. Christie bounces from moment to moment rather than building in importance. Things get livelier when Christie creations like Jane Marple and Hercule Poirot enter as characters and take investigative part. There are extended dialogue sequences to make the writing and remembrance sound more central to the purpose.

William Sturdivant has charming moments as Poirot, twirling his mustache and dropping bon mots. Zoë Sophia Garcia best comes alive as the complaining modern fan from Ohio on a quest to find the real Agatha. But the role of Agatha pushes actress Alex Keiper from attitude to attitude — and here I blame the writing.

By staying brisk and businesslike, Betsy Hogg is welcome on her multiple entrances and exits as Agatha’s companion/servant/secretary. But the play is also a test of our patience for those Christie mannerisms, which I normally adore.

The audiences and the ushers are still learning the contours, ramps and seating chart for the Checota. Mrs. Christie runs through May 10 (https://www.milwaukeerep.com/shows/show/mrs-christie/), but then two weeks later, Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None closes out the season.

Mrs. Christie Gallery

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Dominique Paul Noth served for decades as film and drama critic, later senior editor for features at the Milwaukee Journal. You’ll find his blog here and here. For his Dom’s Snippets, an unusual family history and memoir, go to domnoth.substack.com