The Swinging Christies: Agatha Christie in the 1960s

Two wickedly witty women writers, separated only by the Atlantic! This episode, Gray and Mark carry on their American adventures and discuss the similarities and differences between the works of Agatha Christie and Shirley Jackson. Specifically focussing on Shirley’s Swinging era - The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle! A handful of tickets are still available⁠ [https://www.iacf-uk.org/festival-2025/literary/the-swinging-christies-live-groovy-graphics-and-cool-covers%E2%81%A0%C2%A0] for our first ever live episode recording in Torquay this September as part of the International Agatha Christie Festival 2025! You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/christie_time/]. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠christietime.bsky.social⁠ [https://bsky.app/profile/christietime.bsky.social]. Our YouTube account is @TheSwigingChristies [https://www.youtube.com/@TheSwingingChristies].  Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops! Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing us on your podcatcher of choice. Our website is ⁠ChristieTime.com⁠ [https://christietime.com/]. The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Next episode: we’re heading to Belfast! 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:40 - Introductory chat, recorded in Greenwich, New York 00:05:40 - Agatha Christie and Shirley Jackson 00:20:25 - Swinging Shirley work-by-work 01:03:00 - Next episode, how to get in touch 01:05:02 - Closing titles 01:05:30 - Coda Solutions revealed! - Five Little Pigs, Third Girl

Mrs Christie went to Washington, and Dr Aldridge and Mr Brown are following suit! This episode, we get the train to Washington DC to uncover the truth about how an American Christie fan would REALLY have experienced a Swinging Christie… A handful of tickets are still available⁠ [https://www.iacf-uk.org/festival-2025/literary/the-swinging-christies-live-groovy-graphics-and-cool-covers%E2%81%A0%C2%A0] for our first ever live episode recording in Torquay this September as part of the International Agatha Christie Festival 2025! You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/christie_time/]. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠christietime.bsky.social⁠ [https://bsky.app/profile/christietime.bsky.social]. Please subscribe to us, and  rate and review us on your podcatcher of choice. Our website is ⁠ChristieTime.com⁠ [https://christietime.com/]. The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Next episode: we look at Agatha Christie alongside a contemporary - Shirley Jackson! 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:43 - Introductory chat 00:01:44 - Agatha, Washington and America in the 1960s, down the Mall  00:09:41 - Discoveries in the Library of Congress 00:43:37 - Wrap up, the National Museum of African American History and Culture 00:47:24 - Next episode, how to get in touch 00:49:09 - Closing titles 00:49:36 - Coda

Mark and Gray take Manhattan in the first in this very special miniseries recorded in the USA. In New York, Gray and Mark discuss Agatha’s 1960s connections to America, plus their discoveries in papers held at the Princeton University Archive. A handful of tickets are still available [https://www.iacf-uk.org/festival-2025/literary/the-swinging-christies-live-groovy-graphics-and-cool-covers⁠ ] for our first ever live episode recording in Torquay this September as part of the International Agatha Christie Festival 2025! You can find us on Instagram @Christie_Time [https://www.instagram.com/christie_time/]. We are also on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/christietime.bsky.social]. Please subscribe to us, and  rate and review us on your podcatcher of choice. Our website is ChristieTime.com [https://christietime.com/]. The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Next episode: Part 2 of Swinging USA - we go to Washington DC! 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:40 - Introductory chat at Heathrow airport 00:03:57 - Agatha and America in the 1960s at Central Park 00:32:38 - Discoveries in the Princeton Archive 00:55:49 - Wrap up, Schubert Archive, and off to Washington DC! 00:58:30 - How to get in touch 00:59:41 - Closing titles 01:00:12 - Coda Solutions revealed! - Cat Among the Pigeons, The Clocks, The Pale Horse, At Bertram’s Hotel

Mark and Gray travel to India (metaphorically) in search of the Queen of Crime! Along the way, they discuss various Hindi and Bengali adaptations, and meet with friend-of-the-podcast and expert adaptor/writer Ayeesha Menon to discuss her Mumbai stage version of The Mirror Crack’d! You can find us on Instagram @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do subscribe, rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. Our website is ChristieTime.com. Ayeesha Menon can be found via her production company ⁠Goldhawk Productions⁠ [https://www.goldhawkproductions.com/]. Her excellent drama podcast ⁠Mumbai Crime⁠ [https://podfollow.com/1585815130%E2%81%A0] is available on all good podcatchers. The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Next episode: stay tuned…! 0:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:41 - Introductory chat 00:06:25 - Agatha and India 00:14:57 - Chupi Chupi Aashey (1960 Bengali version of The Mousetrap) 00:29:51 - Gumnaam (1965 Hindi version of And Then There Were None) 00:39:42 - Shubho Mahurat (2003 Bengali version of The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side) 00:56:12 - Interview with Ayeesha Menon, adaptor of The Mirror Crack’d for the Mumbai stage 01:45:12 - How to get in touch 01:46:35 - Closing titles 01:47:02 - Coda Solutions revealed! - The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side. NOT THE MOUSETRAP! We would never! TW: discussion of struggle with fertility, miscarriage, IVF etc.

Miss Marple isn’t an old duffer - she’s a swinging cat! At least that’s what Mark and Gray discover this episode when they shine a light on Agatha Christie’s beloved sleuth. In particular we look at her 1960s outings, plus her Swinging-era cases in the recent 2021 short story collection, in stories by Alyssa Cole, Naomi Alderman, Jean Kwok, Dreda Say Mitchell, Karen M. McManus and Leigh Bardugo. You can find us on Instagram @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do subscribe, rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. Our website is ChristieTime.com. The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Next episode: we travel to India! 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:00:50 - Introductory chat 00:07:00 - Why the Sixties belong to Miss Marple 00:15:09 - The Swinging-era Marple: Twelve New Stories 00:19:01 - Miss Marple Takes Manhattan by Alyssa Cole 00:29:20 - The Open Mind by Naomi Alderman 00:41:45 - The Jade Empress by Jean Kwok 00:44:43 - A Deadly Wedding Day by Dreda Say Mitchell 00:52:44 - The Murdering Sort by Karen M. McManus 00:58:26 - The Disappearance by Leigh Bardugo 01:04:59 - Tackling racism in these stories 01:16:17 - How to get in touch 01:17:17 - Closing titles 01:17:44 - Coda TW: discussion of racism and antisemitism