Rule of Three

Afternoon at the Seaside broadcast on television

Rule of Three is a set of three short one-act plays written by Agatha Christie which debuted on 6 Nov 1961 at Aberdeen and then toured Glasgow, Oxford, Newcastle and Blackpool. Subsequently it was performed at the Grand at Wolverhampton before moving to the West End's Duchess Theatre opening on 20 Dec 1962. The play-set was produced by Peter Saunders and directed by Hubert Gregg. The three playlets are standalone and can be performed separately but are designed to share a cast, although, as can be seen, the number of players required vary.

The idea for the play-set apparently came from Peter Saunders, who felt that since many people prefered Christie's short stories to her novels, the theatregoers might prefer three plays for the price of one. Christie's notes show that this play-set had been conceived as early as 1955 when her choice of three short stories to adapt was: Accident, The Rajah's Emerald and S.O.S.. These were subsequently changed and only The Rajah's Emerald su,rvived with a change of title.

The play-set was televised on BBC on 9 Fen 1963 and also adapted for Dutch television as Opzet of Ongeluk.

The play-set

This triple bill of one act murder mysteries are performed in this order:

• The Rats, a dark and chilling tale in which a pair of adulterous lovers find themselves lured to a flat, trapped like rats and framed for murder.
• The light hearted comedy Afternoon at the Seaside, in which a detective attempts to find a priceless emerald necklace and the culprit who stole it. Based on The Rajah's Emerald.
• The Patient, a tense thriller in which a woman has been hospitalised after seemingly falling from her balcony.

1961 - 1962 cast

The Rats

• Michael Beint as John Grey
• Raymond Bowers as Alec Hanbury
• Betty McDowall as Sandra Grey
• Mercy Haystead as Jennifer Brice
• David Langton as David Forrester

Afternoon at the Seaside

• David Langton as Bob Wheeler
• Betty McDowall as Noreen Somers
• Michael Beint as Arthur Somers
• Robert Raglan as George Crum
• Mabelle George as Mrs Crum
• Vera Cook as a Mother
• John Quayle as a Young Man
• John Abineri as Beach Attendant
• Margot Boyd as Mrs Gunner
• Raymond Bowers as Percy Gunner
• Mercy Haystead as the Beauty
• Robin May as Inspector Foley

The Patient

• Raymond Bowers as Lansen
• Mercy Haystead as Nurse
• Robert Ragian as Dr Ginsberg
• David Langton as Inspector Cray
• Michael Beint as Bryan Wingfield
• Vera Cook as Emmeline Ross
• Robin May as William Ross
• Betty McDowall as Brenda Jackson
• Rosemary Martin as the patient