Episode 2 - Three Act Tragedy

🎭 Introduction: Welcome to "A Bit of a Christie" with Hazel Jones, focusing on Agatha Christie's 1934 novel "Three Act Tragedy."

🌍 Historical Context & Plot: Overview of key events from 1934 and a summary of the book's plot involving Poirot.

🎤 Guest Insights: Interview with Julian Holt on his acting career, role preparation, and the rehearsal process.

🕵️‍♂️ True Crime Case: Examination of the 1935 murder of Reverend Harold Lacey Cecil and the subsequent arrest and trial of Edward Cornelius.

📚 Quiz & Variations: Quiz on the German title of the book and discussion of different titles used in various countries.

Follow our fabulous guest @julianhoult on Twitter and Instagram.

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Transcript

Hazel Jones (00:03):                   Hello and welcome to ABitOfAChristie, the podcast series for fans of Agatha Christie, murder mysteries, or True Crime. Here we explore the works of Agatha Christie and connect them to historical crime cases, which follow a similar plot.

I'm Hazel Jones, and this is ABitOfAChristie. Welcome to episode two. Today we will discuss Christie's 1934 work Three Act Tragedy and explore the realities of life as a modern actor with Western end performer and acting coach Julian Hoult. But first, as always, let's look at the world that Christie was writing in. 

In 1934 while Stanley Matthews made his debut for the England National Football Team and a photograph of the Loch Ness monster was published for the first time there was drama a plenty on the international stage. Notorious criminals, Bonnie and Clyde, were taken down by the FBI. 

Adolf Hitler declared himself Führer an absolute leader of Germany, and the USSR was admitted to the League of Nations. 

Well, what an eventful year as this is an Agatha Christie podcast. It seems only right that we look at the plot line of the book, which we are focusing on today. Three Act tragedy was first published in America in 1934, and it captured the imagination of readers with the mysterious deaths of a vicar, a doctor, and a patient at a sanitorium. Who would link these three deaths together and apprehend the protagonist of this murderous plot? Of course, our favorite Belgian detective Poirot is persuaded to take on the case.

The story of Three Act Tragedy is set in Luma in Cornwall. Affluent and famous actress, Sir Charles Cartwright has decided to host a party at his home, Crow's Nest. An eclectic mixture of guests has accepted his invitation. Amongst them are our friend, Miss Yokiro, a young lady nicknamed Egg with her mother, Mrs. Lytton Gore, and their family friend Oliver Mandez. 

What dinner party would be complete without a vicar? Well, certainly not this one. With Reverend Babbington and his wife being asked along. The famous and mysterious playwright, Miss Wills, also accepted Sir Charles's invitation. Perhaps they know each other from the theater, not sufficed with the local gentry, a cleric, and a writer. Our host goes on to invite an ex-military man in Captain Dakers with his wife Cynthia, his oldest friend, Dr. Bartholomew Strange, and the Astute and Quiet Observer, Mr. Satterthwaite. 

In fairness, on paper, there should be some interesting conversation to be had. The night is setting in to be another evening of delicious food and entertainment company. When disaster strikes during the pre-dinner cocktails. Reverend Babbington has dropped down dead in the middle of the room after tasting one of the cocktails brought around on a tray. 

Sir Charles is convinced that this elderly man didn't simply die of natural causes and fears foul play. He pushes for an inquest into the death. However, after the glass was analyzed, no poison was found. Surely this was just bad timing and not a murderer as suspected,

Like many books published on both sides of the pond, the American title and the British title aren't quite the same. We are using the British Title “Three Act Tragedy” as we are based here. But for any of our American listeners, you may know the book as "Murder in Three Acts". 

Interestingly enough, the difference in titles doesn't stop there, but the Hungarian version has two names, the first, the unthinkable is Hercule Poirot's Wrong, and the Second, the same as the American title. 

A little quiz now, what is the title of this book in Germany answer at the end of the show. Seeing is our book is called "Three Act Tragedy". And one of the main characters, Sir Charles Cartwright, is a famous actor, why don't we go behind the curtain and see what life is really like for a modern-day actor? 

In today's episode, we welcome West End actor Julian Hoult, who amongst other things has starred in Alice in Wonderland, Sweeney Todd, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Lion, The Witch in The Wardrobe. Let's find out what life for Julian is really like and whether it's anything like the life of Sir Charles Cartright.

Hello Julian, and welcome to ABitOfAChristie. Please would you introduce yourself to our wonderful listeners?

Julian Hoult (05:57):            My name is Julian Hoult a bit of an introduction about myself. I am an actor based in the West Midlands. I have been in various theater shows over the years, including Mr. Beaver and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Royal Shakespeare Company, World Arena Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. 

I'm also a teacher and I have my own business, which helps. Working class kids, and getting to drama school, which is my other passion when I'm not on the stage. I have had brilliant success with that recently and it is exciting to watch these kids break down barriers and gain acceptance to some of the best drama schools in the world. Yes, that's a little bit about myself.

Hazel Jones (06:46):           Well, today, as you know Julian, we are looking at the Agatha Christie Book Three Act Tragedy, and that focuses on an actor called "Sir Charles Cartwright". How did you get into acting?

Julian Hoult (07:01):            I'm one of those who, like many before me, had ADHD and what they perceived to be attention deficit disorder back in the day. My mom was advised to focus and channel that energy into performance, drama, and dance. So that's what we did, and I loved it. I thrived. 

That's how I started. I joined a Saturday theater school, where I learned about discipline, time management, and a lot of key skills that you learn while growing up. This is what I say to the parents of the students I teach: the key skills you learn when training to become an actor are essential for so many occupations and day-to-day life.

Julian Hoult (08:01):            So yeah, I went to a Saturday theater school. I was there from a very young age until I was old enough to start auditioning for drama school, which I was very lucky to do. I had amazing teachers at this theater school in Telford, which is where I'm originally from. They were all working actors as well, which was great. A lot of our teachers were alternating between the West End and teaching us, so we were very lucky.

Hazel Jones (08:32):           In the book, Julian, there's a quote and it's from Poirot himself, and he says, "You have the actor's mind Sir Charles, creative, original, seeing always dramatic values." Do you believe there is such a thing as the actor's mind?

Julian Hoult (08:49):            Now you've said it like that, potentially, yes, I kind of do. I think on the other hand, you know, I'm terrible at math, don't give me algebra. I'm not going to be able to do it. I think we all have certain mindsets and certain things. I'm also rubbish with IT. Don't ask me to do any kind of technical, you know, technology is not my strong point. So, I think there is merit in that kind of having an actor's mindset. All kinds of key skills come together to make that though.

Hazel Jones (09:24):           In the book Sir Charles Cartwright carefully selects his cast for the cocktail party he's hosting, and he has a wide range of people there with all different backgrounds. But in the real world of acting, how does the audition process work? Because most of us will go for a job interview, and I should imagine it's quite different from the interview for an actor.

Julian Hoult (09:54):            Usually it comes through your agent, however, there might be circumstances where you see that ad on social media that it's been released and you give a wink, wink, nudge, nudge to your agent, send a little email and go. I would very much like to be seen for that. So, that's usually the process. 

I've been with my agent for seven years now, but my agent is kind of fantastic at this point knowing what I would want to do. There are only a few circumstances where I felt like at that period in my life it wasn't right. And as you get older, priorities change. 

When you first graduated from drama school, I didn't mind doing a year-and-a-half tour around the country. But when you get older and you are settled and you are in your house with your partner and your dog, roaming around the country with a suitcase, you know, one week you're in, Skegness the next week you're in Bradford isn't really what I want to do anymore.

Hazel Jones (10:57):           Well, in part two of our interview with Julian Hoult, we'll be seeing how he managed to transform into Mr. Beaver in CS Lewis's, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. But now we return to our story Three Act Tragedy. Do we know whether the vicar was murdered? Let's find out. 

                                                We rejoined the story in Monte Carlo, where oddly three of our main characters found themselves at the same time. The quiet observer would seemingly know the first name, Mr. Satterthwaite is reading a two-day-old newspaper and discovers that tragically another member of the cocktail party guest list has died. But who was it? The captain, the playwright? No, it's Dr. Bartholomew Strange. 

Remember the oldest friend of Sir Charles Cartwright by coincidence just at that moment? So, Charles appears in front of Mr. Satterthwaite. The actor is already aware of the news about his friend and the two men discuss the case and decide to return to England. 

In the distance, Mr. Satterthwaite sees the shape of a head. He recognizes it's Poirot who has yet to hear the details of Dr. Strange's death. He agrees that it is a curious matter that there is now a second death and wishes Sir Charles and Mr. Satterthwaite all the best with their investigation.

Key facts that the amateur sleuths discover are that Dr. Strange had recently hired a new butler called Ellis, and there was a new patient at the Sanatorium called Mrs. DeRush Bridger. Ellis disappeared without a trace seems as though they are at a dead end when who should arrive to help? But our favorite little Belgian detective.

 We here at ABitOfAChristie podcast don't want to reveal the ending to those of you enticed to read this mystery, so we will leave the story there. In Monte Carlo, Poirot had previously remarked what zeal he has. Our Sir Charles, he's determined then to play this role, the role of the amateur policeman. So, this got me thinking how exactly do you take on a new role and convince the world you are somebody else? Surely there is nobody better to ask than West End actor Julian Hoult, we now return to our interview. 

You have of course played a wide range of roles, but most of them are human. What's the process when you have to play a different role such as Mr. Beaver?

Julian Hoult (13:40):            I was very much vocal even from my audition, oh, what kind of percentage or what kind of mannerisms would I have as the animal and as myself? And also, I was very much in a partnership. The person that I was working with, Christina Tedders, was my wife. 

So, we worked on a kind of physicality together and we found the right balance, I believe, because we still must deliver a story. We can't be making any kind of funny voices, but we were told for the audition that it was Faulty Towers meets Dad's Army meets Mr. Beaver. 

So, before my audition, I did my research, and I of course knew of both of those programs. I've watched those programs for years, but sometimes you must go back and watch things with a critical eye and kind of have a look at what genre of performance can take from that. So certain things come from certain things. The Dad's Army that very kind of clipped way of talking, the 1940s, BBC, and then Faulty Towers, very much the dynamic of the husband and wife. And the husband, you know, being a bit of the buffoon, that very old school kind of PBC dynamic.

Hazel Jones (15:03):           How do rehearsals work? Because you were in a pairing with Christina Tedders as Mr. And Mrs. Beaver. Would you mainly rehearse with her, or would you be with the full cast?

Julian Hoult (15:16):            I think we only had three weeks of rehearsal. So, you'd have your main rehearsal space and you had 30 minutes to grab a break, or Christina and I would always grab that time together, not just with our lines, it was with our body language, it was a comedic double act, and that's all about timing.

Hazel Jones (15:42):           I think the listeners might be surprised that with the lines body language, building a relationship, and the chemistry with your partner and the animal characterization, you only get three weeks. Is three weeks enough?

Julian Hoult (15:57)             Well, I would say no, but the thing is realistically other shows you would get longer. Some shows you would get five or six weeks. Some shows at the RSC are fabulous with rehearsal time. But because The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe before it went to West End, they were already doing a UK tour. 

So, it was primarily already set up and most of the cast, there was only me and a girl called Delaney who was playing Lucy, out of the main characters that were taking over. Whereas primarily most of the main roles such as Sam Womack and Chris Jar had already done it on tour. So, I think that's why they could get away with three weeks of rehearsal. Usually, like I said, it'd probably be about five or six.

Hazel Jones (16:49):           Can it get quite stressful? How do you personally cope with the extra pressure and time restraints?

Julian Hoult (16:56):            Usually my partner is the best at calming me down but most people go through that. You go through those first few days, there's always a way in a rehearsal process, the first few days you think, great, I love this job. I've got this character that I'm excited about. 

And then no matter where you are and who you are, self-doubt will always creep in at some point. Then you go through a week of thinking you are just dreadful and then you kind of build yourself up there. It is kind of a typical actor's process of like, yay, this is wonderful. Now I'm down on myself. And then it's the building of the part and building yourself back up.

Hazel Jones (17:49):           Has there ever been a time when you've walked away from a role?

Julian Hoult (17:52):            No, I don't think it's ever got to that stage. I think there's it's always been to a stage where you have a bit of a run, you have a bit of a cry. You kick yourself up the backside and you continue.

Hazel Jones (18:05):           What would you say the key skills were that an actor needs?

Julian Hoult (18:12):            To get the kind of to the level that you wish to be takes dedication and time. When I teach, I have an hour a week with a lot of these students. Now I can advise you what to do, give you the groundwork to do it, but you've got to have the discipline and dedication to go and do that work outside of class, you know? 

It's funny because I would say those are the two most important things. And yes, of course having talent is important. I've seen very talented people kind of stagnate and stay at the same level, whereas I've seen students who want it and put that work ethic into it improve and sometimes overtake the students who are more naturally gifted.

So, it is a mixture of things. You've got to be on the front foot with acting. You've got to always be thinking about what's next. I think what's always good is that from a young age, we are kind of improvisation is kind of the first introduction to acting usually, which is great because you have to think on your feet, you have to change, you have to be open to change. So, a lot of the skills that you need to be an actor are always kind of being drilled into you from a young age.

Hazel Jones (19:47):           I'm not too familiar with the acting world myself, and I don't know much of the language, but I have heard the phrase “Triple Threat.” Is it really important to be able to sing and dance as well as act?

Julian Hoult (20:02):            Yeah, I mean, this is a thing. This is why we have what they deem as straight-acting courses for some reason. And then you have musical theater courses. Some courses still have they're an acting course that has sung a lot of these big-name schools, Lambda, Central I believe, you know, Guild Hall. 

I think you have to sing for most of them. What they're looking for is not the best singer in the world. What they're looking for is you are taking a song as, almost a monologue with notes. I've seen many beautiful singers, but they don't connect to the words. And that for me is the most important thing. I would suggest that you must be comfortable enough that you can perform a song in front of a panel. 

One of the best musical theater performances is Judy Dench singing, sending the Clowns. Now Judy has a lovely singing voice, but what makes it phenomenal is her acting through song. That's what's incredible. It makes it magical. So, I always show my students who are not confident with singing but love acting. I always show them that performance.

Hazel Jones (21:22):           Have you ever found it difficult to leave a character behind, for example, switching between your life and the character's life, which I would think most times would be incredibly different?

Julian Hoult (21:38):            I'm not a fat method acting, I don't think it's healthy. I believe in a process called "Emotional Recall," but even then, I feel like with emotional recall, you have to be safe with how you use that. So, I'm not a huge fan of method acting, however, with emotional recall with my students when we do it we'll always kind of take it to that space and then kind of think technically. What did that do to you in respect of, how did it make you physically feel?

Hazel Jones (22:13):           As the book we are looking at today is Three Act Tragedy, we thought we would turn Julian's interview into three sections, and the final act, if you will, of that interview is coming up shortly. 

In every episode, we try to find a true crime case, which echoes the plot of the book that we are looking at in that particular episode. We try to get it as close to the publication year as possible. Today we're going to look at the horrifying murder of a vicar in 1936. Was the case ever solved? Let's find out.

Hazel Jones (22:54):           The case that we're looking at today took place in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, the 12th of December, 1935. Reports from the Lithgow Mercury, the local paper stated that the Reverend Harold Laceby Cecil Vicar of Saint Andrews Fitzroy Melbourne was battered to death in his study. It is believed that he disturbed a burglar and was killed in a fierce struggle with the intruder. 

The newspaper goes into detail about how the reverend was of late, quite concerned with the idea that he may been burgled, and he had had trees and shrubs removed from his large front garden so that they would not provide a hiding place for the intruders. 

A search of the house and grounds had failed to reveal the suspected murder weapon of an iron bar, which again is believed to have belonged to the reverend himself. It was thought that he kept this in his bedside cabinet just in case an intruder came. The last line of the article states that the murderer left little behind that might prove of assistance to the detectives. So, was this crime, this murder of a reverend in his vicarage ever solved? Let's have a look through the archives to find out.

Hazel Jones (24:18):           Another paper called "The Age" attempted to Shine A little bit more light on the motive behind the Attack. Although it was discovered that draws had been ransacked in the Vicarage, it was thought that this might have been a blind, and he may have been murdered by a man who had a grudge against him. 

It was discovered in the investigation that the reverend had been annoyed with Hoodlums getting into the grounds of the Vicarage, and the week before he was murdered, he was continually worried about an intruder, possibly breaking in. 

Another theory was that due to the crime taking place in December, the reverend may have been holding funds for a Christmas charity on the property. And whilst you didn't normally have money in the house, this was the perfect opportunity to find some treasure. 

The Reverend was a keen musician and sadly had been the victim of robbery before when burglars had broken into his house and taken some of his instruments. Three days after his body was discovered, Reverend Harold Laceby Cecil's body was carried into his church of St. Xavier's for a memorial service. 

The Daily Examiner noted that there were 16 choir girls, an Archbishop 67 Anglican clergymen, and over a thousand people lining the road leading up to the church.

Hazel Jones (26:00):           However, whilst the Reverend Laceby Cecil was being laid to rest, the Australian police were investigating further claims that two men had been seen near his home on the Thursday morning on which he died. There had also been fingerprint evidence found. Christmas came and went, and with it arrived 1936 alongside some interesting, happy, and sad news on Australian Radio.

News Reporter (26:36):      River up to its highest level for six years. And all over the great state of the Commonwealth there, sending reports of waters at flood height and still rising. Australia gives us news of the New Season's crop of koala bears, the cute little fellas who live in the trees near Sydney. If a mother is out of sight, the baby will follow anything that moves. But first, Charlie and Whitty have to have their climbing room.

Hazel Jones (26:56):           This was the year when the three Australian boys were entertaining crowds, and it was also the year in which the murderer of Reverend Laceby Cecil was finally found.

News Reporter (27:09):      A young man arrested on a charge of murder late, early yesterday, several members of the criminal investigation branch led by Detective Sergeant Carey paid a visit in a police motor car to certain suburbs, including East Melbourne. After calling the house in East Melbourne, they returned to the city accompanied by a man whom they had interviewed in the course of their morning inquiries.

News Reporter (27:30):      Trial of accused alleged statement tender Melbourne Tuesday. Edward Cornelius, 29 motor Mechanic appeared in the criminal court today charged with having murdered the Reverend Harold Laceby Cecil—Vicar of St. Xavier's Anglican Church Collingwood. Cornelius pleaded not guilty. 

Mr. JL Long, who appeared for Cornelius, submitted that a statement alleged to have been made by the accused to the police should not be admitted as evidence because Cornelius had been induced to make the statement. When the detectives who questioned him threatened that unless he did so, Edna Wall, a young woman who had been found in Cornelius's room, would be charged with the murder at the vicar. 

Mr. Long alleged that the detectives had obtained specimens of the accused handwriting by trickery. Mr. Justice Martin ruled that the statement was admissible. The Crown prosecutor, Mr. Brooke Casey, read a statement alleged to have been made and signed by Cornelius. In the alleged statement, Cornelius said that he'd heard that there was a considerable sum of money in the vicarage.

He called there about eight-thirty on the morning of December 12, and the vicar opened the door. Cornelius, according to the statement, asked the vicar to arrange for a wedding. He was carrying some tools, including a spanner. Cornelius signed a card with the name of Francis Edward Loin. 

Cornelius then left the vicarage by the front door but returned without the knowledge of the vicar and began to go through the study desk. Someone seized him from behind. There was a struggle. Cornelius picked up the spanner, which was wrapped in brown paper, and struck the other person on the head several times. Then he realized that it was the vicar. 

The vicar had fallen to the ground. Cornelius went to the front door to close it. While he did so, the vicar followed him and seized him again. Cornelius struck the vicar several times on the head. 

The alleged statement said that Cornelius took about eight pounds from the vicar's pockets. He also took a gold watch, a silver watch, and a chain. Mary Ellen Hart of Pran wife of a secondhand dealer identified Cornelius as the man to whom her husband had sold a spanner for nine shillings. On February twelve, the hearing was adjourned.

Hazel Jones (30:02):           The trial of Edward Cornelius began on the twenty-fourth of March, 1936 in the Melbourne Criminal Court. However, just three days later, Justice Martin sentenced him to death. He was hanged at Pentridge prison at eight o'clock in the morning on the twenty-second of June 1936. He seemed calm just before his death, and when asked if he had anything to say, he said nothing. I'm right. 

So, there we have it, two murdered vicars, one fictional, and one sadly very real. Was Edward Cornelius taking on the role of an innocent man to avoid punishment for the crime? Perhaps being a murderer requires you to channel some of your inner actor rehearsing lines and pretending to be something you are not. 

We return to our guest, Julian Hoult, who can shed some light on whether anybody can be trained to be an actor, and whether you need to be able to sing, dance, and act to be a success. 

We've previously discussed how you got into the character of Mr. Beaver, but that was quite a different character to play. How do you go about researching your other roles?

Julian Hoult (31:22):            Regarding character research even in English you hear about the five W's who, what, where, why, when. So, I would very much always start with those kinds of basic questions. I get the script, I have a look at who my character is, and what's important is the world of the play, especially if you get a classic play and you set it in the sixteenth century in Venice. 

What was the period like? What would you have worn? Would it have been hot and sweaty, and would you have been drinking ale? You can kind of look at different things to life and death stakes. For instance, say the century. I'm 36 now.

I'd almost certainly be on the way out as a 36-year-old. A few more years and I would've been exceptionally old. So, you've got to kind of think of the world of the play. I think that's important to me and so research is integral for me as an actor. 

There's a program that's called Supersizes Go, and it has Sue Perkins who I adore. It was a fantastic TV program that showed you what you'd be eating on a weekly basis. And for me, it is so interesting. Animal studies were a big thing at my drama school. 

So, for instance, I know, especially if I am in a show where I'm jumping from character to character to character. I will do all that research, obviously for each character, and sometimes if you've got a character that isn't written and the creativity comes, you can put your stamp on it but also, I use animal studies in that so automatically, I would think, oh, this character gives me the character of a dog.

Bizarre. But it automatically would change your physicality, the way you move, the way you talk, the way you would even gesture, move your head, move your eyes. Especially if I've got what has happened when I've been in a show where I'm playing several smaller parts. 

It helps you kind of differentiate between the roles and at the time at drama school, I was thinking, why am I doing this? Why am I pretending to be a meerkat for a week? Why am I at the back of Hamstead Theater in Swiss Cottage London being a panda bear? So, you do some wacky stuff at drama school. And when you are younger you think, what am I doing? Why am I doing this? But, as I've got a few years into the business and I've gotten a bit older, there are certain things that I go, that's why they wanted us to do that.

Hazel Jones (34:22):           How important is an accent to a character's development?

Julian Hoult (34:26):            The voice is a strange one because sometimes you can get wrapped up in it, and it doesn't help. Sometimes the voice can come from doing the character for a bit and physically finding the voice. And I know that sounds weird, but like I said, with Mr. Beaver, that very clip, British RP 1940s came from those visuals that I was given, but also from the way I moved. 

So, they kind of marry each other a lot of the time. You are kind of already assigned what accent you need to do, and then you must obviously work on that and perfect it as much as possible. I'm a stickler for accents because I'm from the West Midlands and a lot of people think they can do a good West Midlands accent, but actually, they really can't.

Hazel Jones (35:20):           In the book Three Act Tragedy, we have an actor, but we also have the playwright, Miss Wills. Is there any other aspect of drama and theater that you have an interest in?

Julian Hoult (35:33):            Directing and up until starting teaching, I've never had that kind of opportunity. Then obviously when you become a teacher at kind of a Saturday theater school you kind of have to do all of those things at once, don't you? You must become the director. And we were doing we were doing scenes from The Crucible, which I had to direct, and I found that I just really enjoyed it.

Hazel Jones (36:01):           In the book, Sir Charles Cartwright has changed his name to a stage name. Presumably, Mr. Mug wouldn't have worked as well on the posters. Are stage names still a thing?

Julian Hoult (36:13):            Yeah, of course. Absolutely. And one of my childhood friends Amy Clark had to change her name because there was another Amy Clark, and she changed her name to Amy Christie. So, she might kill me for saying that, but she did, she changed it to Christie. I remember going to her house and very much, you know, death on the Nile, Murder on the Orient Express. She loved all of those films. 

Going back to stage names. I kept my name. it is one of those things that still happens to the day that to this day that people change their stage names, usually their surname. That 99.9% of the time you wouldn't change your first name, you'd change your surname still.

Hazel Jones (36:59):           As well as a very talented actor, you are an acting coach. How did that come about?

Julian Hoult (37:05):            Coaching started because of the pandemic. A lot of jobs fell through. We had two years of no theater, which is my bread and butter. It's what I pay my mortgage with, so I think I just thought, right, okay, let's do some online teaching because where I'm from, there wasn't anything like this that I delivered. 

I was finding that more and more, especially children from working-class backgrounds, didn't have the preparation they needed to gain access to these schools, and therefore, we are missing out on this amazing working-class talent that's always been there. One of my recent students I spotted working at a Saturday theater school myself had all this potential and didn't know what they needed to do to gain access to this course, because you don't just audition for drama schools overnight. 

There's the preparation needed, there's the understanding of the classical text, and there's the process needed. There’s building up interview techniques and he has just started Lambda, which is one of the best drum schools in the world. So, it has been really interesting and really rewarding doing the coaching as well as the acting.

Hazel Jones (38:28):           Thank you so much, Julian, for coming onto the show today. It's been brilliant to hear about the coaching process and your work and experiences as an actor. Here at ABitOfAChristie, we want to praise and promote anybody that we can. So how can people get in contact with you or follow your career?

Julian Hoult (38:47):            If you want to have a look at my coaching, I have a Facebook page, which is Julian Hoult acting coach for Hampton. For teaching work then regarding acting work, I'm with an agency called the BWH Agency, which is based in London. 

So, you can have a look at all my information on their website. So yeah, that's the main place where you can kind of contact me either for coaching work or for acting work. I do have Twitter, which is at Julian Hoult. 

Very simple, very easy. I also have Instagram, which is also at Julian Hoult, but I'm relatively new to Instagram. I only started Instagram because quite frankly I didn't see the point of it. Having said that, since I've got it, I've already enjoyed having it, so there you go.

Hazel Jones (39:36):           Well, that brings us to the end of another episode. We would like to thank Julian Hoult for being such a fabulous guest, Agatha Christie, for writing such engaging novels, and paid tribute to Reverend Laceby Cecil, who was described as a man who was very much admired in his community. 

We return next time with the story of the Pale Horse and an interview with practicing witch Jade M Lauren. 

Tune in to find out how you could be partaking in witchcraft if you stir your cup of tea in the morning, and also Jade's view on the apology from the Scottish government for the witch trials. 

Oh, and in case you thought we'd forgotten the name of the book in Germany, “Nicotine”, which of course is the murder weapon. I wonder how many of you got that? 

See you next time on ABitOfAChristie.