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| “ | Oh yes, I'm perfectly well provided for. Reams of paper, oceans of ink and I'm sure Robin has gin.. What else does a girl need? | „ |
| ~ Ariadne Oliver |
Ariadne Oliver, also known as Mrs. Oliver, is one of the recurring characters in Agatha Christie's shared universe of detective fictions, particularly in the stories associated with Hercule Poirot.
She is one of the two deuteragonists of Hercule Poirot series alongside Captain Arthur Hastings, though they never met each other.
She is portrayed by Tina Fey (who also portrayed Roxanne Ritchi and Liz Lemon) in the 2023 film A Haunting in Venice.
Overview[]
Mrs. Oliver is a detective fiction writer, serving as an allusion to Agatha Christie herself. She first made her debut as the deuteragonist in Parker Pyne Investigates.
Later, she appeared in Poirot stories as the deuteragonist of Cards on the Table (1936), Mrs. McGinty's Dead (1952), Dead Man's Folly (1956), Third Girl (1966), Hallowe'en Party (1969) and Elephants Can Remember (1972).
She also appeared in The Pale Horse as a supporting protagonist - her only novel appearance without Poirot.
Portrayals[]
- The first appearance of Ariadne Oliver on television was in an episode of The Agatha Christie Hour (1982). In an adaptation of the Parker Pyne story The Case of the Discontented Soldier, she was portrayed Lally Bowers.
- A 1986 adaptation of Dead Man's Folly starred Jean Stapleton as Ariadne Oliver, opposite Peter Ustinov as Poirot.
- Zoë Wanamaker portrayed Ariadne Oliver in six television episodes of the series Agatha Christie's Poirot, starring David Suchet as Hercule Poirot.
- In the BBC Radio 4 plays, Ariadne Oliver has been played by Stephanie Cole in Cards on the Table, Hallowe'en Party and The Pale Horse, and by Julia McKenzie in Mrs McGinty's Dead, Dead Man's Folly and Elephants Can Remember, with the latter also portrayed Jane Marple in Agatha Christie's Marple (Series 4 onwards) after the late Geraldine McEwan retired from the role.
