A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

Towards Zero

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  4w, 7m

By Agatha Christie & Gerald Verner

Agatha Christie’s thrilling murder mystery, set in the drawing room of a clifftop house, is a layered drama of piercing intelligence.

Towards Zero

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 7m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Also Available
Towards Zero (Outdoor)

Details

Summary

When a house party gathers at Gull’s Point, the seaside home of Lady Tressilian, Neville Strange finds himself caught between his old wife Audrey and his new flame Kay. A nail-biting thriller, the play probes the psychology of jealousy in the shadow of a savage and brutal murder. A carefully unpeeled investigation before our eyes brings the story to a pointed ending. 

A different stage version of this story set entirely in the outdoors is also available here.

History

Gerald Verner’s stage adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero, set in a drawing room, premiered in the West End at the St. James’s Theatre in September 1956. Produced by Peter Saunders, producer of The Mousetrap, the production was directed by Murray McDonald.

Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups

O’DONNELL
THOMAS ROYDE
KAY STRANGE
NEVILLE STRANGE
LADY TRESSILIAN
JANET COLLIER (COLLIE)
MACGREGOR
AUDREY STRANGE
ANGUS MCWHIRTER
PETER DE COSTA
INSPECTOR LEACH
SERGEANT HARVEY
DR. WILSON

Notes on casting:
AUDREY STRANGE is left-handed and should be seen drinking tea, smoking, etc. with her left hand.
ANGUS may double with PETER DE COSTA.
MACGREGOR (female) and DR. WILSON (male) may double with appropriate gender switch to one of the roles.
Minimum number of performers: 11.

AUDREY STRANGE is left-handed and should be seen drinking tea, smoking, etc. with her left hand.
ANGUS may double with PETER DE COSTA.
MACGREGOR (female) and DR. WILSON (male) may double with appropriate gender switch to one of the roles.
Minimum number of performers: 11.

  • Time Period 1940s/WWII
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Gun Shots

Media

“A double parlour game – before guessing the killer’s name, we are invited to guess who is going to be killed.” – The Observer

“Enticing… keeps the audience guessing right until the very end.” – Broadway World

“An evening in which we do not smell a rat until too late.” – The Times

ON BREAKING CHARACTER
Play by Play: The Theatrical Works of Agatha Christie
1 September 2025

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

    Please submit a license request to determine availability.

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in English with another billion in foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time and, in many languages, outsold only by the Bible and Shake ...

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