Wales Millennium Centre and Wiltshire Creative have announced initial casting for the first ever UK stage adaptation of Agatha Christie’s much-loved Miss Marple thriller The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side. The production will be a European premiere in early 2019 on a tour that culminates at Cardiff’s New Theatre in March.
Times are changing. Girls are wearing trousers and Hollywood has come to a sleepy English village in the shape of a beautiful film star. Miss Marple is left to feel that the world has no need of her now until a mysterious death calls into question the past of all those present. Everyone’s version of events is different. Can Miss Marple unravel the tangle of lies?
The iconic Marple mystery from the world’s best-selling author of all time has been adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff (Flowers for Mrs Harris, Birdsong) and directed by Melly Still (Coram Boy, My Brilliant Friend, The Lovely Bones).
Susie Blake will play Miss Marple while Simon Shepherd will take on the role of Scotland Yard inspector Dermot Craddock. in The Mirror Crack’d, a co-production of Wales Millennium Centre and Wiltshire Creative which will tour in early 2019.
Miss Marple will be played by Susie Blake, known as Hilary Nicholson in Mrs Brown’s Boys, Bev Unwin in Coronation Street and The Continuity Announcer in Victoria Wood As Seen on TV.
“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.,” says Susie , “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, his theatre credits include: Misalliance and Precious Little Talent (Orange Tree).
“Dermot Craddock is my first Chief Inspector role, “ says Simon, “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.”
Graeme Farrow, Artistic Director at Wales Millennium Centre said: “The ever-increasing range and variety in the Centre’s work is thrilling to engineer, and nothing more so than a European premiere of a stage adaption of one of the great Agatha Christie novels with its endless twists and turns, wrong-footing you at every opportunity. For the whodunnit fans or the new wave of Scandi-noir devotees, I think The Mirror Crack’d throws down the gauntlet to guess where the guilt lies before the cunning Miss Marple solves the crime in this taut thriller.”
The Mirror Crack’d, UK Tour 2019
starring Susie Blake and Simon Shepherd
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15 Feb-9 Mar Salisbury Playhouse http://www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk
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12- 16 Mar Gaiety Theatre, Dublin http://www.gaietytheatre.ie
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19– 23 Mar Cambridge Arts Theatre www.cambridgeartstheatre.com
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26 Mar – 6 Apr New Theatre, Cardiff http://www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk