Agatha Christie needs little introduction. In a career which spanned more than 50 years and with over 100 novels to her name she was, at the time of her death in 1976, the best-selling English novelist of all time.

Christie carved herself a whodunnit niche which many have since tried to occupy. But although her world-famous creations, such as eccentric Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, have been brought to life on both the big and small screen, there have been few recent stage productions (with the notable exception of the long-running Mouse Trap) which have captured the essence of the undisputed queen of crime.

This inaugural production by the new Agatha Christie Theatre Company bucks this theatrical trend. The first act opens to Vaughan Williams's The Lark Ascending and, coupled with an impressive set flanked by slanted, wood-panelled walls, it sets a very English scene. This is carried forward by the cast's stunning period costumes, which evoke a colourful post-war period where everything appears a tad surreal.

The actors put out theatrical performances of the kind you'd expect from Christie: Liberally sprinkled with "darlings" and an abundance of cocktail cigarettes to remind the audience this was a period when smoking was not only acceptable but positively fashionable.

Kate O'Mara delivers some classy one-liners to timely comic effect, in keeping with her unconventional character of Lady Angkatell. Her supporting cast largely remain true to the original 1946 novel.

For the stage adaptation of her book, Christie replaced her great moustached detective with an earlier invention, Inspector Colquhoun a fact which may disappoint hardened Poirot fans.

Colquhoun is the least convincing character, although not dissimilar to John Thaw's Morse. But this is a minor quibble in what is otherwise a beautifully staged and executed murder-mystery delivered with the sophisticated wit of an era which does Christie's uniquely stylised work justice.

Running until Saturday, February 11