The Mirror Crack’d
★★★☆☆ Poised
Church Hill Theatre: Thurs 6 – Sat 8 Nov 2025
Review by Hugh Simpson
Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d provides good old-fashioned whodunnit thrills for Threepenny Theatricals at the Church Hill until Saturday.
A death occurs at a party given by St Mary Mead’s newest arrival, the faded film star Marina Gregg. And while it’s local Heather Leigh who falls foul of the poisoned strawberry daiquiri, it seems likely that Marina herself was the intended victim. Luckily, despite being laid up with a sprained ankle, the village’s resident sleuth Miss Marple is soon on the case.
Darren Coutts, Fiona Main and Gillian Robertson. Pic Ross Main.
Rachel Wagstaff’s recent adaptation of Christie’s novel, like the film version, shortens the book’s title from The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side to something snappier if perhaps more awkward.
This version lays great stress on the various characters’ backstories and motivations, which adds psychological realism but diminishes the tension. It also makes constant use of flashbacks, with the same scenes being played several times from different points of view, which is ingenious but soon becomes wearing.
Under the direction of Fiona Main, the cast are extremely well drilled, with convincing accents, impeccable diction and considerable presence. Main herself plays Marina, and is utterly convincing as the embittered grande dame of the screen.
believability and dignity
As is now usual, Miss Marple is portrayed more as a kindly, understanding figure rather than the nosey, slightly dotty character she was once assumed to be, and Mairi Coyle gives the role believability and dignity.
This adaptation makes the investigating police officer and long-time friend of Marple, Chief Inspector Craddock, something of a buffoon, and it is difficult to see either why she insists he is intelligent, or that he would have any chance of solving crimes on his own. Simon Boothroyd, however, is suitably bumbling and self-important, and provides an effective foil for Miss Marple.
Mairi Coyle and Angie Fowler. Pic Ross Main.
Elspeth Whyte is extremely touching as Miss Marple’s friend Dolly, the former owner of Marina’s grand house. One of their scenes together has considerable emotional impact, even if it does seem somewhat out of place in a stage thriller.
The various other characters are also discharged with skill. Darren Coutts is every inch the hard-bitten Hollywood film director, while Rebekah Lansley is impressive as the movie ingenue who (like everyone else) has a secret.
Annabel Hamid and Scott Harrison play the Hollywood couple’s employees, the secretary Ella Zielinsky and butler Giuseppe Renzo, with the appropriate combination of credibility and secrecy.
Gillian Robertson is the unfortunate Heather, and Russell Loten her husband Cyril, and both get considerable and unexpected humour from their characters’ plight; Loten in particular displaying admirable comic timing. This can also be said of Angie Fowler as Miss Marple’s home help Cherry.
dated
There is certainly a problem with the less well-heeled characters in this adaptation. Their characterisation, like some of the changes to the plot, seems to be trying to reflect the social changes of the 1960s setting mentioned in the storyline, but only succeeds in making it appear more dated.
Extreme care has been taken in all aspects of the production; Gordon Hughes’s lighting is impeccable, Neil French’s sound is pin-sharp and the set (designed by Main and constructed by Alastair Delaney) is ingenious, with revolving elements that make up the various settings.
Indeed, it is probably too ingenious for its own good, leading to considerable delays between scenes, and even to distracting re-setting during scenes. In particular, the gap before the final scene is far too long. This, like the deliberate pace, means that the whole thing is considerably more protracted than would be ideal.
In a thriller, you don’t want huge gaps to consider any plot holes; it is better if it races along. The final scene, meanwhile, is too drawn out. The combination of the stately pace and the stress on characters’ motivations may be striving for realism but has the opposite effect, and ends up making it more melodramatic.
On the whole, however, the production is impressive, being well acted and directed with real care.
Running time: Two hours and 40 minutes including one interval.
Church Hill Theatre, 33 Morningside Rd, EH10 4DR.
Thursday 6 – Saturday 8 November 2025.
Evenings at 7.30 pm; Matinee Sat 2.30 pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Website: www.threepenny-theatricals.org
Facebook: @3pennytheatre
Instagram: @threepennytheatricals
The cast of The Mirror Crack’d. Pic Ross Main.
ENDS
