THEATRE fans will have to wait to find out whodunnit now the plug has been pulled on an Agatha Christie murder mystery.

Legal wrangling has wrecked St Joseph's Players dream of ending the season on a high.

Months of rehearsing and hours of set building should have been rewarded next month with a five-day sell-out at the Leigh playhouse. But they have been banned from performing Agatha Christie's "Towards Zero" because of a contractual row between agents for the writer's estate and script publishers Samuel French.

"We're all terribly upset," said production director June Lee, whose cast had spent four months rehearsing what should have been the swansong production of an outstanding season.

"The cast has rehearsed so well and now, just two weeks away from opening, we're told we can't stage it."

The situation unravelled when theatre company treasurer contacted Samuel French to ask how much the performing rights royalty fee would be.

"Usually it would cost St Joseph's around £200, but we received a reply saying this was one of four Agatha Christie plays subject to restricted performances.

"The stage crew worked full-time rebuilding the set and we can definitely say the show will go on, slotted in to next year's programme."

Players chairman Kath Roberts said: "We were asked to wait a couple of months by which time the dispute should hopefully have been settled." CRIME WRITER: Agatha Christie