Canberrans not accustomed to being offended by sexist and xenophobic lines may be in for a shock from the latest Agatha Christie play being presented by Canberra Repertory Society.
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Witness for the Prosecution is filled with sexist and xenophobic lines.
"The thing that struck me about the play is that it's very misogynistic, very misogynistic," says director Aarne Neeme.
"The first act finishes with the main male character saying, 'never trust a woman'. And I thought this is written by a strong woman…Why has she done this?"
In the Canberra Repertory Society's production of the play, Neeme has been faithful to the early 1950s setting of the original short story, misogyny and all.
He sees the play as a social commentary on the treatment of women and foreigners at the time and a reflection of Christie's personal life.
"I think that the personal story is the central female character in this play, who curiously enough was the same age as Agatha Christie was when she wrote the original short story and her marriage was just breaking up," Neeme said.
"She was reflecting the world she found herself in."
Witness for the Prosecution is not the typical Agatha Christie detective story.
"It's a bit different to your normal Agatha Christie thriller. It's a courtroom drama," says actor Pat Gallagher, who plays the arrogant defence lawyer.
"There's a lot of verbal sparring and duelling between the defence, the prosecution and the witnesses rather than the whole drawing room aspect that you get with a lot of Agatha Christie stuff."
Mr Gallagher says his character, Sir Wilfred QC, is intelligent but also "a bit of an arrogant bastard".
"He's a product of the '50s, which is when the play is set. He is a bit sexist and xenophobic."
Mr Neeme has been working with the Canberra Repertory Society since 1989 and has directed about 15 plays with the amateur theatre company.
"It's a great team of people and so I'm really pleased with it and I hope the audiences will really respond to it."
He hope audiences will appreciate how society has changed.
"There is still a long way to go but it's good to know just how far we have come."
The Canberra Repertory Society's production of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution opens Thursday, June 16 at Theatre 3.
