The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Adaptations

Stage play

The book formed the basis of the earliest adaptation of any work of Christie's when the play, Alibi, adapted by Michael Morton, opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London on 15 May 1928. It ran for 250 performances with Charles Laughton as Poirot. Laughton also starred in the Broadway run of the play, retitled The Fatal Alibi, which opened at the Booth Theatre on 8 February 1932. The American production was not as successful and closed after just 24 performances. Alibi inspired Christie to write her first stage play, Black Coffee. Christie, with her dog Peter, attended the rehearsals of Alibi and found its "novelty" enjoyable.[15]: 277  However, "she was sufficiently irritated by the changes to the original to want to write a play of her own."[15]: 277 

Film

The play was turned into the first sound film based on a Christie work. Running 75 minutes, it was released on 28 April 1931, by Twickenham Film Studios and produced by Julius S. Hagan. Austin Trevor played Poirot, a role he reprised later that year in the film adaptation of Christie's 1930 play, Black Coffee. Alibi is considered to be a lost film.

Radio

Orson Welles adapted the novel as a one-hour radio play for the 12 November 1939 episode of The Campbell Playhouse. Welles played both Dr Sheppard and Hercule Poirot. The play was adapted by Herman J. Mankiewicz,[32]: 355 [33] produced by Welles and John Houseman, and directed by Welles.

Cast: Orson Welles as Hercule Poirot and Dr Sheppard Edna May Oliver as Caroline Sheppard Alan Napier as Roger Ackroyd Brenda Forbes as Mrs Ackroyd Mary Taylor as Flora George Coulouris as Inspector Hamstead Ray Collins as Mr Raymond Everett Sloane as Parker

The novel was also adapted as a 1½-hour radio play for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast on 24 December 1987. John Moffatt made the first of his many performances as Poirot. The adaptation was broadcast at 7.45pm and was recorded on 2 November of the same year; it was adapted by Michael Bakewell and produced by Enyd Williams.

Cast: John Moffatt as Hercule Poirot John Woodvine as Doctor Sheppard Laurence Payne as Roger Ackroyd Diana Olsson as Caroline Sheppard Eva Stuart as Miss Russell Peter Gilmore as Raymond Zelah Clarke as Flora Simon Cuff as Inspector Davis Deryck Guyler as Parker With Richard Tate, Alan Dudley, Joan Matheson, David Goodland, Peter Craze, Karen Archer and Paul Sirr

Television

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was adapted as a 103-minute drama transmitted in the UK on ITV Sunday 2 January 2000, as a special episode in their series, Agatha Christie's Poirot. In this adaptation Japp – not Sheppard – is Poirot's assistant, leaving Sheppard as just another suspect. However, the device of Dr Sheppard's journal is retained as the supposed source of Poirot's voice-over narration and forms an integral part of the dénouement. The plot strays considerably from the book, including having Sheppard run over Parker numerous times with his car and commit suicide with his gun after a chase through a factory. Ackroyd was changed to a more elderly, stingy man, disliked by many, who owns a chemical factory. Mrs Ackroyd, the sister-in-law of Roger Ackroyd, is also not as zany as in the book version. Location filming took place at Castle Combe in Wiltshire.[34]

Adaptor: Clive Exton Director: Andrew Grieve

Cast:

David Suchet as Hercule Poirot Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp Oliver Ford Davies as Dr Sheppard Selina Cadell as Caroline Sheppard Roger Frost as Parker Malcolm Terris as Roger Ackroyd Nigel Cooke as Geoffrey Raymond Daisy Beaumont as Ursula Bourne Flora Montgomery as Flora Ackroyd Vivien Heilbron as Mrs Ackroyd Gregor Truter as Inspector Davis Jamie Bamber as Ralph Paton Charles Early as Constable Jones Rosalind Bailey as Mrs Ferrars Charles Simon as Hammond Graham Chinn as Landlord Clive Brunt as Naval petty officer Alice Hart as Mary Philip Wrigley as Postman Phil Atkinson as Ted Elizabeth Kettle as Mrs Folliott

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was adapted as a 190-minute drama transmitted in Japan on Fuji Television on April 14, 2018, as a special drama, under the title "The Murder of Kuroido" (Japanese: 黒井戸殺し, Kuroido Goroshi).[35]

Adaptor: Koki Mitani Director: Hidenori Joho

Cast:

Mansai Nomura as Takeru Suguro, based on Hercule Poirot Yo Oizumi as Heisuke Shiba, based on James Sheppard Yuki Saito as Kana Shiba, based on Caroline Sheppard Takashi Fujii as Jiro Hakamada, based on John Parker Kenichi Endō as Rokusuke Kuroido, based on Roger Ackroyd Mayu Matsuoka as Hanako Kuroido, based on Flora Ackroyd Tamiyo Kusakari as Mitsuru Kuroido, based on Cecil Ackroyd Osamu Mukai as Haruo Hyodo, based on Ralph Paton Yasufumi Terawaki as Moichi Reizei, based on Geoffrey Raymond Tomohiko Imai as Goro Rando, based on Hector Blunt Kimiko Yo as Tsuneko Raisen, based on Elizabeth Russell Sayaka Akimoto as Asuka Honda, based on Ursula Bourne Jiro Sato as Koshiro Sodetake, based on Inspector Raglan Yo Yoshida as Sanako Karatsu, based on Mrs Ferrars Kazuyuki Asano as Hamose, based on Mr Hammond Masato Wada as Kenzo Chagawa, based on Charles Kent

Graphic novel

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was released by HarperCollins as a graphic novel adaptation on 20 August 2007, adapted and illustrated by Bruno Lachard (ISBN 0-00-725061-4). This was translated from the edition first published in France by Emmanuel Proust éditions in 2004 under the title, Le Meurtre de Roger Ackroyd.


This content is from Wikipedia. GradeSaver is providing this content as a courtesy until we can offer a professionally written study guide by one of our staff editors. We do not consider this content professional or citable. Please use your discretion when relying on it.