Impact case study database

Impact on understanding and appreciation of Christie’s works

Although conceived and executed as a research monograph, Dr Aldridge’s book Agatha Christie on Screen (2016) has received acclaim from Christie fans and the wider public, as well as scholars. It has garnered positive reviews from both the public (4.5/5 on amazon.co.uk) and from critics which show how the book has impacted on appreciation and understanding of Christie’s work:

• “Whether established scholar, student or general reader, there is something included in this book for everyone [. . . . ] it is an excellent example of how to balance scholarship with accessibility for both academic and general readers.” Llewella Chapman, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television [5.4]

• “Mark Aldridge, with his unique access to Christie archives, has unearthed a treasure trove of details that make Agatha Christie more alive to me than before.” Amazon reviewer [5.2].

• “[Aldridge] introduced me to a number of productions I was not aware of and he has also given me a strong need to watch more of Christie’s stage productions. It was great to see behind the scenes of adaptations and to see what went into making them and I have a much greater idea of what the adapting process is like.” Cross Examining Crime [5.3].

Newspapers and magazines have frequently contacted Dr Aldridge to discuss the book and interview him about new Agatha Christie adaptations. This has led to appearances in The New York Times, The Times (which branded Dr Aldridge ‘the Agathologist’) , The Independent, The Sunday Times and the Radio Times (amongst other publications) as well as popular websites such as Digital Spy, where his research has been explicitly referenced and he has been quoted or interviewed. Additionally, he has written an article for the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine (the most widely read magazine in the country) about the history of Poirot, designed to coincide with the release of the new Death on the Nile film. This is a clear demonstration that the work he has been undertaking helps to inform popular discourse about her work, and his research has had a meaningful impact on such discussions [5.5].

Dr Aldridge appeared on television for a discussion of Murder on the Orient Express on the channel TRT World in 2017 [5.6], which was broadcast in 190 countries, in the 2017 Sky documentary Agatha Christie: Murder Beyond the Orient Express [5.7], and the 2019 French documentary Le crime en heritage: Agatha Christie crève l'écran. Most recently he was interviewed for the 2020 PBS/Channel 5 (US/UK) documentaries Agatha Christie: 100 Years of Poirot and Miss Marple and Agatha Christie’s England, and has shared his research with Stephen Fry for a forthcoming appearance as expert and interviewer in a major ITV documentary (2021).

On the radio, Dr Aldridge is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Devon (which covers the area where Christie lived for most of her life), discussing new events and Christie’s impact, including in relation to World Book Day celebrations [5.1]. Dr Aldridge has been a special guest for the American podcast All About Agatha three times, which has a global audience of over 100,000 ‘listens’ every month. These episodes were discussing screen adaptations of Christie’s work, coinciding with the release of Murder on the Orient Express and then their discussion of Christie’s masterpiece And Then There Were None and Dr Aldridge’s Poirot book [5.8]. Interest has only accelerated recently, with interviews for a range of popular international podcasts including A Dark and Stormy Podcast (US) and Shedunnit (UK).

Dr Aldridge brings his research insights directly to audiences through public talks aimed at general audiences. At the International Agatha Christie Festival, in Torquay in September 2017, he presented a discussion of some lesser-known Christie film adaptations to a sold out audience [5.9]. He was invited to speak at Torquay Museum’s Christie Mystery Day in September 2018 and he gave a special introduction to the first British cinema appearance of the film Crooked House in September 2019. Since then he has given five more invited talks to audiences and has proven to be an in-demand authority on Christie’s works, with feedback indicating that he is a popular and entertaining presenter who helps to bring his research to life for the general public [5.12]. Dr Aldridge has worked with the organisers of the International Festival for several years, including assisting with events and chairing a meeting between the board at the request of Christie’s grandson. His online talk for the 2020 International Agatha Christie Festival has attracted over 2000 views to date (the highest number of the whole event), showing the extent of interest into his research.

In 2018, Dr Aldridge was invited to take part in the Killer Women literary festival, where he discussed Agatha Christie and Poirot on stage with internationally best-selling author Sophie Hannah, who also writes the official Poirot continuation novels, while in 2019 he gave a talk at the National Trust’s inaugural Greenway Literary Festival, which took place at Christie’s holiday home in Devon [5.10]. Following this Greenway appearance, Dr Aldridge was invited to become a member of Literature Works, an organisation supported by Arts Council England that helps established authors to support and mentor those honing their craft in the South West of England [5.13]. Despite the pandemic, Dr Aldridge took part in many invited literary/film and public events in 2020, including sell-out appearances at literary festivals such as Noirwich and Perfect Crime.

These extensive appearances in the media and on the literary scene demonstrate the value of this research to those seeking to enjoy and interpret Christie’s work and understand her ongoing cultural significance.

Impact on the Christie archives and estate

Dr Aldridge enjoys a good relationship with her publisher HarperCollins and the family trust, who consult with him to clarify details when preparing press releases and similar publicity materials, for example he was asked consulted on the announcement of the BBC adaptation of And Then There Were None in 2015 [5.1]. His work has led to the return to the archives of a Poirot television production, Murder by the Book [5.11], the master tape of which had been destroyed by Disney, and the discovery of a unique filmed record of an original run of one of her stage plays in the 1950s [5.1].

Further impact

The impact that Dr Aldridge has made on wider understanding of Agatha Christie is showcased by the 2020 publication of Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World. This book was commissioned following discussions between Dr Aldridge and Christie’s publisher HarperCollins regarding his desire to bring his new research to a wide audience. This was especially apparent following Dr Aldridge’s public talks which showed that there was a widespread appetite for new information and interpretation regarding Christie, which in turn leads to greater understanding of her work and her own impact. The result is a lavishly illustrated examination of her most famous detective, which shares insights and new discoveries in an accessible way, while always being based on rigorous research that has been shared with other Christie scholars, who have also reviewed the text before publication. Although it is early days for the book, it has been very well received and the book has already been picked up for distribution internationally, including translations into Greek and Estonian. International interest is no doubt the result of the fact that Christie herself continues to sell extremely well – for example, on the paperback bestsellers chart Murder on the Orient Express climbed to number two following the Branagh film. Dr Aldridge’s work has placed him at the forefront of popular and academic international discussions about Agatha Christie and her enduring legacy.