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Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d starring Susie Blake
14th November 2022 - 19th November 2022
Original Theatre presents
THE MIRROR CRACK’D by Agatha Christie
Starring Susie Blake as Miss Marple
Adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff
Directed by Philip Franks
Miss Marple returns to the stage…
1960s England and a wind of change is blowing through the land.
It has even reached the sleepy village of St. Mary Mead. There’s a new housing estate to make the villagers curious and fearful. And even stranger, a rich American film star has bought the Manor House.
Jane Marple, confined to a chair after an accident, is wondering if life has passed her by.
Then there is a vicious murder, and Miss Marple must unravel a web of lies, tragedy and danger.
This adaptation of Agatha Christie’s famous novel brings real emotional depth and psychological insight to a thrilling story of revenge and the dark secrets that we all hide.
But can anything be hidden from Miss Marple, the sweet old lady with mind like a steel trap?
A brand-new production of Rachel Wagstaff’s (Birdsong, The Girl on the Train) acclaimed adaptation produced by the award-winning Original Theatre Company who brought you Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art, the smash-hit comedy Invincible and the acclaimed Birdsong.
Starring Susie Blake as Miss Marple (Victoria Wood’s As Seen on TV, Coronation Street, Mrs. Brown’s Boys), Sophie Ward (A Very British Scandal, Holby City, Land Girls) and Joe McFadden (Holby City, Heartbeat andStrictly Come Dancing 2017 winner), Mara Allen, Oliver Boot, Sarah Lawrie, Lorenzo Martelli, Jules Melvin, David Partridge, Veronica Roberts, Holly Smith and Chrystine Symone.
“Wagstaff finds new depths in Marple” The Times
Age Guidance: 12+
Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes (including interval)
Related Events
Event Reviews
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Showtime! with John Philpott
Poor old Craddock. You’ve got to feel sorry for the care-worn chief inspector who never seems to stray all that far from Miss Marple’s parlour.
Anyone would think that by now he would have become used to regularly being outwitted by the elderly amateur, but no. He ploughs on regardless.
The situation is probably made even worse inasmuch that the wily old bird is looking even more geriatric in this Agatha Christie classic, having sustained a sprained ankle, presumably having tripped over an empty sweet sherry bottle that had fallen off the drinks cabinet.
No matter. She can still perch on the settee, knitting away, and doing the cops’ job for them.
And hey, what luxury it must have been for the boys in blue in those days. No arduous being stuck in the office, with endless Twitter ‘hate crime’ to investigate, no dangerous old women drivers with faulty back lights to chase and sternly reprimand.
Small wonder then that Craddock can strut about Miss Marple’s living room all day long, lost in his very own fog of total and utter confusion.
So. There’s been a murder and Craddock immediately seeks the counsel of the redoubtable lady, despite running the risk of the routine complete humiliation. Left to him, he’d not only get the wrong person, but probably might even end up feeling his own collar and taking himself down the station for questioning…
Susie Blake is simply wonderful as the pop-eyed pearls and twinset sleuth, while Oliver Boot excels as the perennially perplexed policeman, desperate to make an arrest, but tragically clueless on how to make a start.
Into the fray sashays Sophie Ward as preposterous prima donna Marina Gregg with a face that could curdle milk. Will she ever stop chewing on that wasp? And why is she so forgiving when the excitable Heather Leigh (Jules Melvin) keeps on spilling drinks down her dress – can anyone be THAT understanding?
Meanwhile, Jason Rudd (Joe McFadden) crashes about as the short-fused film director with the eager-to-please Cherry Baker (Mara Allen) manically buzzing about like a fly trapped in a jam jar.
A particularly strong performance, too, from Chrystine Symone as actress Lola Brewster doubling up as Anne Boleyn confronting La Gregg’s Catherine of Arrogance, sorry, Aragon.
Incredibly, there are cynics among the population who might contend that Agatha Christie’s thrillers, replete with cosy deaths, thunderclaps, the occasional gunshot and cry of ‘aaaargh’ are a tad formulaic.
Au contraire. This new adaptation by Rachel Wagstaff, directed by Philip Franks, injects fresh life into this murder yarn to create a story that brims with vim, razor-sharp dialogue, and lightning-fast scene changes, all of which conspire to keep us guessing right up until the final moments.
It’s great theatre in the best whodunnit tradition and thoroughly recommended.
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The View From The Stalls
There are, of course, two characters created by Agatha Christie who stand out and who have been played by an illustrious series of actors over the years: Poirot (Albert Finney, Peter Ustinov and, of course, David Suchet) and Miss Jane Marple (Margaret Rutherford, Joan Hickson, Julia McKenzie…).
The latest actor to take on the coveted role of Miss Marple is Susie Blake in Rachel Wagstaff's new adaptation of The Mirror Crack'd. Director Philip Franks (Cedric "Charley" Charlton in The Darling Buds of May) says that theatre had become lazy, doing run-of-the-mill productions of her stories knowing that the audience would always turn up because they "love a mystery". And so with Wagstaff's adaptaion, he set out to present something different and this starts with the set which is basically an enormous glass box which is rolled onto the stage and revolved as it is used for different locations.
There is a story to tell of multiple murders at Gossington Hall but Miss Marple is somewhat incapacitated by a foot injury. She does, however, get a visit from Chief Inspector Craddock (Oliver Boot) and her friend Dolly Bantree (Veronica Roberts) - the latter having sold her house to a sophisticated American couple - film star Marina Gregg (Sophie Ward) and her husband/director Jason Rudd (Joe McFadden).
The story is cleverly told in seamlessly-performed flashbacks involving the rest of the cast as the murders take place and Miss Marple attempts to unravel the mystery. She does this, however, to the increasing despair of the Chief Inspector who should really be in charge and this lends to an undercurrent of unexpected humour throughout the show (and a couple of laugh-out loud moments too). As in any good mystery, it is not just the" who" but also the "how" which is important and red herrings play their part in distracting the audience from the real killer.
Susie Blake brings a light touch to the role as she quietly, imperceptibly and knowingly gets the information she needs to identify those responsible for the murders as well as helping to resolve some other longstanding issues too. Oliver Boot is great as the Chief Inspector who tries his hardest to be take control but knowing that anything he tries to do will be overshadowed by actions of "Auntie Jane", the real sleuth in this case. "You're a spinster, not a detective!" he exclaims at one point, much to the amusement of the audience.
Given a fresh new approach to Agatha Christie's novels (as evidenced already with Sarah Phelps's re-imagined stories for BBC TV), it seems that, in addition to the long-running The Mousetrap (coming to Malvern next year), theatre is also playing its part in keeping her stories alive for a new generation of theatre-goers.
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Val Wallcroft
I have watched several 'Miss Marcle' productions in my time - however, this particular production - directed by Phillip Franks, was simply 'outstanding'The cast on opening night were 'spot on! And the Malvern audience were treated to some excellent performances - Susie Blake took on the role of the Spinster Sleuth - Jane Marple - brilliantly! her gentle observations of party guests, including 'the murderer'!
When you watch the role of Miss Marple - there are many different interpretations of it - I believe Susie Blake to be one of the best!
This new adaptation by Rachel Wagstaff is definitely worth a visit to Malvern Theatres - as always, Malvern theatre-goers gave this first night their well-deserved applause -
West End Best Friend - Rachel Martin
Original Theatre’s most recent touring production, Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d, is nothing short of sublime.
Adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and directed by Philip Franks, it is both aesthetically pleasing and highly engaging from start to finish.
Set in 1960’s England, the small village of St Mary Mead and a new housing estate is making the villagers both curious and fearful and a rich American film star has moved in to the manor house. A cocktail party at the manor leaves one person dead in suspicious circumstances. Jane Marple confined to a chair after spraining her ankle is drawn in to the tragedy. Will she be able to help the police solve this web of lies before someone else gets hurt?
Susie Blake plays Miss Marple, the feisty spinster who doesn’t miss a thing. Blake is perfect for this role, just the right amount of sarcastic humour delivered in the appropriate manner makes her the most lovable of characters. Her relationship with both Chief Inspector Craddock (Oliver Boot is brilliantly bungling), the Detective who struggles to comprehend where Miss Marple’s questions are relevant until it’s unravelled before him, and Dolly Bantry (played brilliantly by Veronica Roberts), the life-long friend who loves a gossip, is both touching and truthful.
The cast and design by Adrian Linford are faultless and create an edge of your seat thriller with ease. It’s got the revenge, dark secrets and emotional story that you would expect from a Christie novel delivered in the most perfect and entertaining storytelling.
Compelling, tense and full of unexpected twists and turns!
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Entertainment Views Blog - Helen McWilliams
The Mirror Crack’d is one of Agatha Christie’s best loved novels and I’ve always had a soft spot for the television dramatisation. It was going to be a tough act to follow for me personally, however I can safely say that Rachel Wagstaff’s adaptation hits the stage running and does justice to the original text.
Directed by Philip Franks and designed by Adrian Linford, the story unfolds on a picture perfect set with Miss Marple at the heart of all the action. Whether she’s dreaming or we are experiencing flashbacks to the horrific moment when the first murder takes place, Marple is there, she’s an almost reassuring presence. It’s an innovative set with minimal props and yet this helps to capture every element of the tale. The numerous flashbacks, sometimes to the same scene are reminiscent of the way in which the television adaptation shows the viewer the pathway to the accusation. It’s clever and extremely engaging. The music doesn’t go unnoticed too, composed by Max Poppenheim, it lends the same atmosphere as the incidental music used on screen.
The Mirror Crack’d revolves around an actress, Marina Gregg – she’s moved into Gossington Hall with her doting husband Jason Rudd, who is also a director. Marina is surrounded by adoring staff members, Ella Zielinsky, who is in love with her boss and Giuseppe Renzo, who has been in Marina’s employ for years. There’s also a star struck co-star, Lola Brewster and a besotted fan, Heather Leigh in the mix. When Leigh is murdered in plain sight at Marina’s party, it’s up to Chief Inspector Craddock to get to the bottom of it – and his ‘Auntie’ just happens to be super sleuth, Jane Marple. As luck would have it, Miss Marple’s friend and previous owner of Gossington Hall, Dolly Bantry, was a guest at the party and Miss Marple’s home help; Cherry Baker, was serving canapés. The scene is set for intrigue, dark secrets and suspicion.
Jules Melvin completely captivated me as the doomed Heather Leigh, she came across so wonderfully as the adoring fan girl. Her husband Cyril (David Partridge) provided some unwitting comedy moments. Chrystine Symone is effortlessly elegant as Lola Brewster while Mara Allen provides yet more comedy moments as Cherry Baker, terrific energy.
Sophie Ward plays Marina Gregg, with Joe McFadden as her husband, Jason Rudd, the pair have been at the hub of promoting this tour, however the trio who really should be commended and in my humble opinion, feel like they’re the glue are Oliver Boot as Craddock, Veronica Roberts as Dolly and Susie Blake as Marple. Boot is everything I remember a member of the force being in the various adaptations I’ve seen before and he still puts his own stamp on the role. Roberts is superbly meddling as Dolly and shares some marvellous scenes with Blake as Marple. What Blake brings to the table as the seventh actor I’ve seen take the role of the famous armchair sleuth, is a gentle yet steely determination, a maternal air in her interactions with Craddock and facial expressions detailing every iota of her logic. My favourite stage Marple to date.
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Courie Amado Juneau - Fairy Powered Productions
Arguably the best known Marple, “The Mirror Crack’d” was first published by Christie in 1962 before finding a very admiring audience on the big screen when Angela Lansbury took on the title role in a truly star studded cast. Further small screen adaptations ensued (for BBC and ITV) each changing the original novel in subtle ways.
This new adaptation, by Rachel Wagstaff, makes much more dramatic changes to both the plot and the dramatis personae. For instance, in the original novel there were 3 children adopted and one of them was at the party. In this new adaptation both of those facts have changed! And the name of the first victim changed from Badcock to Lee, which took my attention away from the action on stage as I pondered this. Overall, though, the changes did make dramatic sense but purests who know the original well may balk at the liberties taken with the source material.
One thing that did not change was Miss Marple’s razor sharp sleuthing from her armchair and her busybody status. They even managed to weave in the old running joke regarding just what exactly an elderly spinster, member of the public, was doing at the scene of a crime interrogating witnesses – I enjoyed that. Susie Blake gave us everything we would expect (and more) from our lead character, regaling us with a very pleasing portrayal with believable sympathetic overtones and emotional gravitas – especially in the scene where she recounts her former lost love.
The play was almost a psychological drama and social commentary within the framework of the original novel introducing such a la mode topics as self harm, lesbianism, snobbery, nimbyism… The highlights for me were Marple and her friend, Dolly Bantry (played with an almost “I don’t believe it” air by Veronica Roberts), giving us some delicious on stage chat, especially when they went off piste i.e. discussing Dolly’s children or with Dolly reacting to “new fangled ideas”. Beautifully written drama, giving us warmth, humour and a genuinely warm chemistry beffiting their longstanding fictional friendship.
All the cast were wonderful but special mention must go to Chief Inspector Craddock, played with gusto by Oliver Boot. I particularly loved his exasperated asides to his medling “Aunt Jayne”.
The stylized direction from Philip Franks allowed Marple to be in the action (on stage) for every scene but it did at times feel like the suspects were lined up like pieces in a game of Cluedo! I really enjoyed seeing the testimony scenes re-enacted rather than just as a monologue, giving us a filmic quality which was welcome and pushed the action along nicely.
It is always a pleasure to see an old friend hit the stage and Christie never disappoints. This new adaptation is a fine night out which I thoroughly recommend. Glad rags on, strawberry daiquiri in hand and enjoy yourself heartily – elbow bumps not kisses perhaps… Go see this wonderful play, you won’t regret it!
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Weekend Notes
Miss Marple is back and she's sparky with a touch of older lady sass in this vibrant, often comic new Agatha Christie tale on tour.
I caught The Mirror Crack'd from the Original Theatre Company at Malvern Theatres, where it stays for a week until Saturday November 19th.
Susie Blake stars as the formidable sleuth who has a fun, witty relationship with Scotland Yard Detective Craddock, who she used to babysit and is back in St Mary Mead because a killer is on the loose.
Blake is well cast with excellent poise and charisma as Miss Marple. She makes it easy to see how Marple cajoles information out of people. In this story, the pensioner has got a sprained ankle and is largely confined to her home.
It starts with the death at a cocktail party being relayed to the inquisitive spinster second-hand and continues in much the same fashion through the first act.
Cleverly, as interviews with suspects are recounted, the various characters emerge around her living room to say their piece.
Rachel Wagstaff has done a fine job in adapting the script from the Queen of Crime's work. Although there's slight changes to the original tale, it all fits in. The fast paced action keeps red herrings, twists and turns coming thick and fast.
Blake is a safe pair of hands but there's other big names involved. Sophie Ward, who has starred in many TV crime dramas including Lewis, and Strictly Come Dancing winner Joe McFadden, although his role is quite minimal.
Oliver Boot, playing Chief Inspector Craddock, has a lovely chemistry with Blake during their verbal jousts. It's the highlight of the show and makes Christie's work much funnier than I've seen it done before.
While the murder mystery is at the core of this production, it is very character driven, even bringing in a back story to Miss Marple and her friend Dolly Bantry's friendship. They chat about years gone by and the love of Miss Marple's life, along with how he died.
There's also more emphasis put on the mental health impact of tragedies and hardships in the various suspects' lives.
While the deaths in the first act happen off stage, the bloodthirsty will be relieved to hear that the big finale relives the killings, showing them all taking place and by whom.
As a huge Agatha Christie fan who has read the books, seen the films along with various TV series on both BBC and ITV, I found this a thoroughly enjoyable, gently entertaining show.
It surprisingly even adds something fresh to age-old Christie. All in all, The Mirror Crack'd has a lovely humour during an evening of cosy crime that Christie fans will adore.
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Tim Crow - A View From Behind the Arras
This stage adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side is an excellent interpretation of Christie’s original novel. The audience is in rapt attention throughout the evening.
Set in the village of St. Mary Mead, where Christie had set earlier novels, Gossington Hall has recently been purchased by a famous film actress called Marina Gregg, whose husband, Jason Rudd, is directing her in her latest film.
As they are hosting an event in aid of St John’s Ambulance, one of the volunteers, Heather, a devoted admirer of Marina, dies suddenly from a poisoned drink.
The murder evokes little care or compassion from us as spectators of the action; as always with a Christie novel, the murder is just a device to present us with the challenge of identifying the murderer. Chief Inspector Craddock is the official responsible for solving the puzzle, but it is once again his aunt, Miss Jane Marple, who is key to unravelling the mystery.
This clever and modern Original Theatre adaptation by Rachel Wagstaff presents us with a colourful and diverse range of characters and suspects, in an entangled set of relationships surrounding Marina, all with different possible motivations for carrying out the murder. Was the intended victim Heather or indeed Marina herself? Is someone covering up for and protecting another?
An aspect of the play that enriches the entertainment value is the humour and comedy. The perceptive Jane Marple shows up her bumbling nephew, whose elevation to Chief Inspector is very ironic. Rachel Wagstaff’s script, complemented by excellent comic timing on the part of the cast, bring out the comedy subtly and brilliantly.
From the moment the curtain rises, the clever use of an impressionistic set design, the movement of the cast around the set and the subtle use of lighting establish a dramatic atmosphere and pose questions to the audience. There are neat time shifts in the action, pointed by the use of lighting, that keep the audience piecing together the story and trying to understand the motivations.
Susie Blake is an excellent Marple. Her warmth and empathy, her humour and her incisive questioning as increasingly she takes over and dominates the investigation, are brilliant. Oliver Boot, Chief Inspector and her nephew, is outstanding in his timing and portrayal of officialdom and incompetence. He is good a making the tea and answering the door.
Sophie Ward plays with screen star Marina with great presence and control; there is complexity and variety in her characterisation. Her pesty husband played by Joe McFadden flits around her and tries to manage and direct her sufficiently to arouse suspicion. Veronica Roberts is excellent as Dolly Bantry, former owner of Gossington Hall; the other cast members bring great colour, humour and variety to the performance. The pacing of the production is perfect.
This is a quality performance and adaptation of the Christie novel. It provides a delightful evening’s entertainment.
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Kathie Hodges
A wonderfully performed psychological thriller by a perfectly placed cast in this artful adaption of a Marple Mystery by Rachel Wagstaff. The set, a mirrored corridor cleverly transforms the scenes seamlessly from Manor house to movie studio for this classic crime story.
Susie Blake sparkles as an absolutely wonderful witty and very sharp minded Jane Marple, relentless in her quest to discover the truth in any case aided by best friend Dolly Bantree played by Veronica Roberts.
The story begins with her ever so slightly bumbling nephew also known as the new ‘Chief’ Inspector Craddock if you don’t mind, played expertly by Oliver Boot, seeking advice from his aunt after a murder is committed while insisting he doesn’t actually need any help or advice at all.
It appears on the surface that a famous American actress Marina Gregg played by Sophie Ward could be the target of a murder plot, having narrowly escaped death in a twist of events the race is on to discover who and why anyone would have reason to murder the actress. It goes without saying, all is not what it seems.
Jason Rudd played by Joe McFadden, is the movie director husband of the actress, the latest in a long line, and appears as captivated with his wife as her fans.
The play covers significant topics such as homosexuality and self harming, Love and loss, and yet the drama is played out carefully with gentle humour.
Blake’s Marple is warm and humorous engaging the audience instantly.
The director Philip Franks says of the adaptation that it is ‘a terrific mystery but a thrilling story of love, loss pain and fear.
Not to be missed.
