Robert Powell (Holby City, The Detectives) will star as Hercule Poirot in a new production of Agatha Christie’s first ever play, Black Coffee, later this month at Theatre Royal Brighton.

Presented by the Agatha Christie Company, Black Coffee will run from Tuesday 27 May to Saturday 31 May at 7.45pm, with matinee performances on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm.

> Buy tickets at atgtickets.com/brighton or by phoning 0844 871 7650.

The cast also includes Liza Goddard (Bergerac), Gary Mavers (Peak Practice) and Ben Nealon (Soldier Soldier).

A quintessential English country estate is thrown into chaos following the murder of eccentric inventor Sir Claud Amory, and the theft of his new earth shattering formula. Arriving at the estate just moments too late, one man immediately senses a potent brew of despair, treachery and deception amid the estate’s occupants. That man is Hercule Poirot.

Mathew Prichard, Agatha Christie’s grandson and chairman of Agatha Christie Ltd, commented: “I am so pleased that Robert Powell has agreed to play Poirot in the Agatha Christie Theatre Co’s production of Black Coffee …. He will be the latest in a long line of distinguished actors to play the role, and a real treat lies in store in 2014 for all those around the country who go to see the play.”