We open another season with a sparkling Agatha Christie mystery. Its cryptic title and lesser-known detective (Superintendent Battle) have kept this 1956 play (adapted from her 1944 novel) from being produced very often, but there is no lack of familiarity here for her fans. The play takes place in a Cornwall drawing room at the estate of Lady Tressilian. The plot is rife with recognizable characters and clever twists. The “Zero” referred to in the play’s title comes from the term “Zero Hour”, which is the lingo used to describe the time when a critical event happens in a mystery story (in most cases, it’s the murder). The characters even discuss that too many mysteries start right at the “Zero Hour” and don’t give you enough of the back-story to enjoy before the “whodunit” part of the story kicks-off. Christie gives the audience plenty of “Pre-Zero Hour” story points before anyone has been killed off, challenging the audience before they even know who will be dead and who will be the suspects.