Martin Shaw (George Gently, Judge John Deed) takes on the role of Sir Charles Cartwright, a retired actor who relishes the opportunity to assist Poirot with his investigations after the death of a guest at his home.

Three Act Tragedy also stars Art Malik (Ben Hur), Kate Ashfield (Collision), Kimberley Nixon (Cranford), Jane Asher (The Palace) and Tom Wisdom (The Boat that Rocked).

Reverend Babbington dies - Lots of suspects

Poirot visits Cornwall to attend a dinner hosted by his friend, the retired actor Sir Charles Cartwright. When guest and amiable local Reverend Babbington chokes to death on his cocktail, Poirot cannot see how murder can have been committed, much to Charles insistence of foul play.

With the exception of Sir Charles’s friends Sir Bartholomew Strange, a nerve doctor whose experiments into the mind have made his sanatorium renowned, and the beautiful and enigmatic Miss Egg Lytton Gore, any one of the eclectic mix of guests might have taken the glass. The inquisitive playwright Mrs Wills, bickering couple Captain Dacres and his wife, the celebrated dressmaker Cynthia, faithful housekeeper Miss Milray, the rakish young suitor of Miss Lytton Gore’s, Oliver Manders, or her protective mother Lady Mary.

But no trace of poison

There seems to be no motive for murder and, as Poirot predicts, no trace of poison is found in the Reverend’s glass. Poirot and Charles each take their annual holiday to Monte Carlo, dismissing the event as an unfortunate accident. That is until a newspaper announces Bartholomew Strange’s death, causing the friends to abandon their holiday. Mrs Milray, meanwhile, takes leave from Charles’ house to visit her sick mother.

Strange choked to death at a dinner party he was hosting with many of the same guests who attended Charles previous party, dropping dead minutes after Oliver Manders appeared uninvited having faked a motorcycle crash outside his estate. Poirot and Charles travel to Strange’s home in Yorkshire where Charles is determined to solve his friend’s death and to impress Egg, with whom he has fallen in love. Local Inspector Crossfield is grateful for the pair’s help with the case, particularly as he is a fan of Charles’.

Again, no trace of poison is found in Strange’s glass but a mortuary report confirms that the doctor was poisoned with nicotine, used to spray flowers. This time the circumstances seem much more suspicious. A butler who was working temporarily at the house has disappeared, leaving the housemaid to remark that Strange was uncharacteristically jovial with him, as though they shared a private joke. Further complicating the mystery are a telephone message about a patient at Strange’s sanatorium and a secret tunnel within the walls of his house of which everyone has heard rumours but none have found.

As Charles and Egg become engaged to be married, Poirot continues to enlist both their help with solving the case. They discover that Mrs Milray’s mother is already dead and Captain Dacres lets slip in a drunken stupor that Strange’s mind experiments prevented a windfall to his wife’s ailing fashion empire. As the mysterious butler is still to be identified and his references are found to be faked, Mrs Wills tells them that she noticed a birthmark on his wrist as he served at the dinner party.

A third death

Then comes a third victim - the sanatorium patient who was the subject of the telephone message is poisoned with a box of chocolates, sent anonymously, on the eve of her requested meeting with Poirot. Her murder finally enables the Belgium detective to make sense of the reason for the Rev Babbington’s death. As everyone gathers for the dress rehearsal of Mrs Wills’ latest play, Poirot explains that this was a tragedy played out in three perfectly executed acts...

David Suchet says:

"Three Act Tragedy is to do with this great star, played by Martin Shaw, who swans around and we see his world, his theatrical world if you like, of how he lives, his loves and his tragedies. In it we see crime, we see murder. "It was particularly wonderful for me to be reunited with Martin Shaw. Martin and I go right the way back. It was the first time we worked together since The Professionals, so the best part of 40 years ago. Martin is a really great actor and it was really good to be working with him again.

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ITV’s Poirot - Three Act Tragedy starring David Suchet

Poirot visits his friend retired actor Sir Charles Cartwright in Cornwall

Starring David Suchet, Martin Shaw, Art Malik, Kate Ashfield, Jane Asher and Tom Wisdom

Photograph of Martin Shaw & David Suchet in character as Sir Charles Cartright & Hercule Poirot

Photograph of Martin Shaw & David Suchet in character as Sir Charles Cartwright & Hercule Poirot