Guildhall becomes stage for Agatha Christie first
Following their sell out shows of 2013, Theatre Mill returns this week with a piece of theatre history – the first ever site-specific staging of Witness For The Prosecution by Agatha Christie.
The Guildhall will provide the historic backdrop for the gripping court room drama which opens on Wednesday, April 2 – 61 years after the play’s 1953 London premiere.
Audiences will be asked to consider the outcome of a murder trial from within the former council chamber.
Mathew Prichard, grandson of Agatha Christie and chairman of Agatha Christie Ltd said: “I have long felt that staging Witness For The Prosecution in a site-specific environment would be an exciting event.
“I am impressed by Theatre Mill’s experience with heritage buildings and classic plays and I think York Guildhall is the perfect setting for audiences to discover this Agatha Christie first.”
“Witness For The Prosecution has one of the most illustrious performance histories of any play,” said Samuel Wood, Theatre Mill artistic director.
“Christie’s skill when crafting this courtroom drama was so vivid, so detailed that it is in my opinion made for a live environment.
“It is truly an honour to be directing this timeless classic in its first ever site-specific showing.”
Theatre Mill, based in York, specialises in creating engaging audience experiences in non-traditional theatre locations.
Its autumn 2013 production of Sherlock Holmes & the Speckled Band at Treasurer’s House in York was a sell out, and drew critical acclaim.
- Witness For The Prosecution will run from April 2-20
- For tickets, priced from £14 to £20, see the York Theatre Royal website
- More theatre stories here