THE cast for the first UK stage adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple thriller, The Mirror Crack’d, from Side to Side has been announced by Wiltshire Creative and Wales Millennium Centre.

The Mirror Crack’d will be a European premiere, opening at Salisbury Playhouse on February 15 before touring to Dublin, Cambridge and Cardiff.

Miss Marple will be played by Susie Blake, known as Hilary Nicholson in Mrs Brown’s Boys and Bev Unwin in Coronation Street and The Continuity Announcer in Victoria Wood As Seen on TV. She said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be taking on this part, I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to play a role like this my whole career. I loved watching the great Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple and always wanted to be her when I was growing up. I admire Miss Marple’s incredible brain and very much look forward to putting my own spin on the character with the fantastic creative team.”

Simon Shepherd will take on the role of the Scotland Yard inspector Dermot Craddock, best known for playing the role of Dr Will Preston in the popular ITV television series Peak Practice.

Simon said: “Dermot Craddock is my first chief inspector role. Craddock interviewed me as Patrick Simmons in Murder is Announced for the BBC about 30 years ago. It was a great Alan Plater adaptation with Joan Hickson playing Miss Marple. It feels like things have come full circle. I am delighted to be working with the brilliant Melly Still again on this sharp, fresh adaptation by Rachel Wagstaff.”

Completing the cast is Colin R Campbell, Suzanna Hamilton, Julia Hills, Katherine Manners, Katie Matsell, Davina Moon, Huw Parmenter and Gillian Saker.