Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mirror Crack’d, Tower Theatre Review
Written by Bronagh for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
The Tower Theatre’s production of The Mirror Crack’d is a new adaptation of the classic Agatha Christie novel, promising twists, thrills and plenty of emotion. We join Miss Jane Marple (Alison Liney) as she helps Chief Inspector Craddock (Sebastian Chrispin) to solve the murder of Heather Lee (Clare Janew) and attempted murder of actress Marina Gregg (Lucy Moss) at a glitzy party thrown to celebrate her arrival in the sleepy St Mary Mead. What unfolds is an absolute whirlwind of twists and turns, leading to a finale I never saw coming.
I will be completely honest and say I’ve never been one for ‘who dunnit’ murder mysteries and I have never read or seen any Agatha Christie, however, after watching The Mirror Crack’d I may be converted! This is such a well done production, keeping the audience engaged and entertained throughout. Agatha Christie’s can be perceived as being quite old fashioned and dare I say, almost quite stuffy. However, Rachel Wagstaff’s writing and Dan Usztan’s direction have brought new life into this play with the whole production flowing perfectly and consistently with the audience hooked throughout right up until a certain crucial moment in Act Two.
Miss Marple is brought to life by a powerhouse of a performer, Alison Liney. Liney’s performance is beyond witty, delivering certain lines so drily that you can’t help but laugh at. This collective of performers have their strong points, a favourite of mine being Sangita Modgil’s performance as Dolly Bantry. Her bemusement at the very idea of a supermarket and the name ‘Cherry’ was brilliantly funny, and no poker face in sight.
Using flashbacks to tell the story from different characters' perspectives was a very fun, playful choice which emphasises the action. The action pauses, allowing a story within a story to be told and allowing other characters to execute some brilliantly comic moments as the story unfolds.
The costume design by Haidee Elise is noteworthy, each character is dressed appropriately for the time and of their social class. At one point Chief Inspector Craddock touches on how he is not yet used to seeing women wearing trousers as well as Dolly Bantry’s comments on the nearby ‘development’, this shows true opinions of the time hinting at some presumptions due to class. Jude Chalk’s set design is versatile and fast paced, in the way that one moment we’re in Miss Marple’s house, in the next we are at the lavish Gossington Hall making great use of the space.
Now for a note on the theatre itself. We were greeted by friendly members of staff who gave us a brief overview of where the facilities were and were always on hand to help. The show is advertised as running for two hours and ten minutes with a fifteen minute interval. Timings were absolutely perfect, starting on time and running according to the advert which really can make all of the difference. The bar was fairly priced, with two fizzy drinks coming in at £3.50 – a wonderful change from some theatres! The theatre was also wheelchair accessible, with staff helping wheelchair users in and out. In a nice touch, at the interval a whiteboard was placed at the bar where audience members could cast their vote on who they thought the murderer was. This was my first visit to the Tower Theatre, and certainly won’t be my last.
The Mirror Crack’d is not a production that you want to miss if you enjoy thrills, surprises and comedy. Trust me when I say you will not be ready for the ending! A very well done production, with a wonderful cast and crew.
At the Tower Theatre until 18th January 2025.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
