David Suchet attempts to unravel the mysterious appeal of the great detective Hercule Poirot - and reveals what it has been like to play one of fiction's most enduring creations.
Being Poirot is a 50 minute television programme in which David Suchet attempts to unravel the mysterious appeal of Hercule Poirot and how he portayed him. Broadcast in the United Kingdom on the same evening as the final episode “Curtain”.
Suchet visited Greenway, Agatha Christie's summer home recollecting how he met her daughter Rosylyn and her husband Anthony Hicks for their approval before he began filming. He now meets Christies grandson Matthew Pritchard who recounts how his grandmother found the character amongst Belgium refugees in Torquay. A visit to the permanent Poirot exhibition at Torquay Museum to which he presented the cane he used in the television series.
Suchet acknowledged the first stage and film adaptations of the books with actors such as Charles Laughton on the London stage in "Alibi", an adaptation of "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd", in 1928. "Alibi" was filmed in 1931 with Austin Trevor but is now lost. The oldest surviving film portrayal from 1934 was "Lord Edgware Dies" again with Austin Trevor portraying Poirot. Suchet notes a conscious decision was made by the film company to portray Poirot without a moustache. Films featuring Albert Finney and Peter Ustinov were also featured and Suchet reveals he read the books and wrote down 93 notes of the character that he would use in his portrayal and for him it was discovering the voice he would use and the rapid mincing gait featured in the books.
Suchet also goes to Florin Court that the production company found to represent his home Whitehaven Mansions. There he meets first producer Brian Eastham where they discuss the set that was built based on the flats. and Eastham.s decision to fix the stories in 1936. Suchet also visits composer Christopher Gunning who had composed four themes for Eastham to choose, the first being Gunning's favourite. Eastham chose the fourth after having Gunning darken the tone.
Suchet travels to Brussells and is feted by the police chief and mayor and goes to Ellezelles which claims to be the birthplace of Poirot. and is shown a birth certificate as proof. Suchet travels on the Orient Express and recounts filming the episode “Dead Man's Folly” last at Greenway to finish on a high note.