Agatha Christie's The Mirror Crack'd at Salisbury Playhouse

Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d opens tomorrow (February 15) with Susie Blake starring as Miss Marple, who is known for playing Hilary Nicholson in Mrs Brown’s Boys, Bev Unwin in Coronation Street and The Continuity Announcer in Victoria Wood As Seen on TV.

Simon Shepherd (Peak Practice) takes on the role of the Scotland Yard inspector Dermot Craddock.

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

The Mirror Crack’d, which is a co-production by Wiltshire Creative and Wales Millennium Centre, sees Julia Hills return to the Playhouse after appearing in Chris Chibnall’s hit comedy Worst Wedding in 2017.

Julia, who plays Miss Marple’s best friend Dolly, says: “It is not going to be a traditional Miss Marple with a drawing room set and people standing talking to each other. It is quite cinematic and like a film with lots of flashbacks and revisiting of the crime from different people’s point of view.

“It is an Agatha Christie, it is still a thriller ‘whodunnit’ and it is based on the book. There have been film and TV versions but this is a version, an adaptation, that is investigating memory and the way everyone remembers things in a slightly different way.

“You have a different lens through which you see different people’s impression of the same event.”

The Mirror Crack’d has been adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff (Birdsong) and is directed by Melly Still (The Lovely Bones). It is set in 1962 in St Mary Mead.

“There has been this new development outside the village of new houses for people coming in from the towns and the cities. There is a lot of change,” explains Julia, who adds: “It is a time of great social change beginning.”

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She continues: “All the characters have things that have happened in their lives that are revealed during the story. When they first appear you probably think ‘I know what sort of person you are’ and ‘oh yeah, you’re that kind of character’, but actually they all reveal things that you might not expect.”

Julia says she really liked the script for the show but admits: “This is the first Agatha Christie I’ve read. I’ve actually read the book because of the script. I really enjoyed it, it was really good. I might go away and read some more.”

I thought the script was interesting and I knew Melly Still the director was going to do it in quite a different sort of way. It wasn’t going to be the traditional production of an Agatha Christie and so I was really interested to go and meet them," she continues.

“It is always exciting to do new work,” says Julia, who is “thrilled” to be back at Salisbury Playhouse with the European premiere of the new adaptation of The Mirror Crack’d.

“For me the most exciting work is when you are working on scripts that have just been written or still being written and you’re kind of part of a creative process.”

She adds: “I’m really pleased [to be back at Salisbury Playhouse]. Another reason for wanting to do the show was that it was going to be here. I’m thrilled to be back in Salisbury, I had a lovely time here doing Worst Wedding.

“Salisbury Playhouse is a real treasure for Salisbury because of the fact they have built the set here. They have the facility to build sets and costumes.

"So many provincial theatres don’t have those facilities or that many staff. They [Salisbury Playhouse] produce so much of their own work, it is fantastic.”

Summing up the show, she says: “It is an intriguing story, an intriguing adaptation and I hope it is going to be a rather intriguing production.”

Agatha Christie's The Mirror Crack’d runs in the Main House until March 9.

For tickets or more information go to wiltshirecreative.co.uk or call 01722 320333.