The Last Confession or Poirot and Me

On Saturday, I went to see a very intriguing play called The Last Confession starring David Suchet.  And for those who are not familiar, David Suchet is The quintessential Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie's famous detective.  And one of my favorite actors!  But first the play -

The play itself delves into a fictional account of the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of Pope John Paul I who reigned for just 33 days.  I was not at all familiar with the history behind this play so I went in completely surprised by some aspects - like how radical John Paul I was in his thinking and of the beneficial changes he wanted to make to the Catholic Church.  The play made him seem a little bit more open-minded (at least in regards to contraception) and refreshingly eager to dispense with some of the stuffy pomp and circumstance that surrounds the Vatican's practices and the Pope's position.  The actor to play John Paul I - Richard O'Callaghan - played him beautifully I thought - he made him so endearing and likable.

The play raises questions on the nature of faith and the role of religion which are very thought-provoking topics.  I can't say I am clear on the meaning it was trying to get across in the end, and for the most part, I was really exasperated with how badly members of the Church acted - corruption and greed were not glossed over in this play.  I was glad I got to see this play though, because I thought it was an excellent production all around with some powerful and subtle performances.

Now back to David Suchet.  I became a fan of Agatha Christie novels when I was in high school - gravitating more towards Poirot novels because Poirot's eccentricity very much appealed to me.  He always made me smile.  And around that time I also got into the TV series adaptation of Poirot's stories which starred Suchet.  There have been a few other actors to play Poirot on screen, but no one gets him like David Suchet.  That's just a fact.  He delves so deeply into the character it's awe-inspiring.  And he's played Poirot in adaptations of all of Agatha Christie's novels and short stories! (Except for one short story apparently)  The last season - the last four books that needed to be adapted - will finally air in the U.S. this summer. (Of course it already aired in the U.K. months ago!)

At the stagedoor, I was pretty nervous, and tried to keep my thoughts straight as I waited with my Mom to see him.  There were a couple other Poirot fans waiting too, so it was nice to talk to them a bit about David Suchet.  And when he finally did come out, he was so gracious and polite!  He took the time to talk to everyone, and personalized our items to be signed.  It was a very special moment for me to be able to meet him and shake his hand.  I know he is an amazing actor who has done great work outside of his role as Poirot (He was very good in a British period drama called "The Way We Live Now") but I did find it hard to stop myself thinking I was meeting Poirot. :)  I was a bit disappointed though because Stuart Milligan is also in this production and he didn't come out.   Stuart Milligan played President Nixon in an episode of Doctor Who, and he was also a recurring character in another favorite show of mine - Jonathan Creek.

The Last Confession is on a limited world tour at the moment - it goes on to different parts of Australia after it's run in Los Angeles.  If you have the opportunity, do go see it!  And David Suchet did write a book on his experiences bringing Poirot to life called Poirot and Me.  It's not yet officially available in the States, but I hope it will be after the last season of Poirot airs.  Expect a review of the book on the blog sometime soon!