Christie on Radio
Christie on Radio
Christie first wrote for the radio in 1930. As a member of The Detection Club, she was asked to contribute to the series Behind the Screen which was to be broadcast on the BBC National Program. She wrote an episode called Something is Missing which was broadcast on 21st June, 1930. Christie read the story on air and the lady, famed for her shyness, later admitted to suffering from stage fright. She agreed to take part in a second series called The Scoop which was broadcast in 1931. This time Christie contributed to two stories – one was an unnamed episode, the other was called The Strange Behavior of Mr. Potts. Christie never again read any of her work on radio but her stories were so popular that she was asked to write more for the medium.
Behind the Screen and The Scoop were published in book form in the UK in 1983.
Perhaps the most famous radio work was written in 1947 when she was asked by the BBC to write a half hour play to celebrate Queen Mary’s 80th birthday – Three Blind Mice would later become The Mousetrap!
Though Christie’s most famous detectives were Poirot and Miss Marple, the BBC chose to dramatize Partners in Crime in 1953. The thirteen adventures of Tommy and Tuppence starred Richard Attenborough and Sheila Sims, who also performed together in the first stage production of The Mousetrap.
The BBC captured Christie’s voice for posterity in 1955 – here she speaks about why she started writing http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/audiointerviews/profilepages/christiea1.shtml
Christie’s work can often be enjoyed on radio - see Christie Events for more details.