REVIEW: The Mirror Crack'd at Newcastle People's Theatre

The Mirror Crack'd 

Newcastle People's Theatre

Until Saturday 24 January 2026

Agatha Christie's Miss Marple returns to the stage in Rachel Wagstaff's innovative adaptation of The Mirror Crack'd, presented by Newcastle's People's Theatre. This fresh take on the classic whodunnit runs until 24th January, bringing Hollywood glamour and murder mystery to St Mary Mead in a production that breathes new life into Christie's beloved detective.

Rachel Wagstaff's adaptation takes a bold departure from traditional Christie stagings, transforming the usual static drawing room affair into something far more cinematic. Director Sam Hinton embraces Wagstaff's vision of memory as fluid and physical, allowing scenes to pause, rewind and replay as different characters recall events. This theatrical mechanism cleverly mirrors the film world that descends upon Miss Marple's quiet village, whilst giving audiences direct access to the detective's thought process as she pieces together fragments of subjective recollection to uncover the truth.

When film star Marina Gregg (Moira Valentine) arrives in St Mary Mead to shoot her latest picture, the village is thrown into turmoil. A garden party at Gossington Hall ends in tragedy when a local woman dies from poisoning, and it falls to the ever-observant Jane Marple (Karen Elliott) to investigate alongside Chief Inspector Craddock (Sean Burnside). As Marple delves into the world of Marina's husband Jason Rudd (Jim Boylan), rival actress Lola Brewster (Kristin Clawson), and various members of the film crew including Ella Zielinsky (Erin Thwaites) and Giuseppe Renzo (Viktor Danchenko), she must navigate the performances and duplicity of people whose profession is pretence.

Elliott rises admirably to the considerable challenge of playing Christie's iconic sleuth, bringing warmth and steel to a role with formidable theatrical heritage. Equally impressive is Tony Sehgal as Cyril Leigh, who demonstrates impeccable comic timing, drawing consistent laughter from the audience despite having relatively few lines for much of the evening. The production's use of the full stage keeps the action flowing dynamically, with most of the cast and assistant stage director Lauren Howell remaining visible throughout, creating an ensemble energy that gives the piece a distinctly modern, almost cinematic quality. This constant presence reinforces the production's central themes about performance, observation, and the unreliability of what we see.

For lovers of classic whodunnits, this Mirror Crack'd offers both comfort and surprise. The production respects Christie's plotting whilst embracing contemporary staging techniques that make the material feel fresh. It's a testament to both Wagstaff's intelligent adaptation and Hinton's thoughtful direction that this production honours tradition whilst confidently forging its own path.

Review: Stephen Oliver

Photos: Paul Hood

Tickets

Tickets are available from the People's Theatre Box Office on 0191 265 5020 (option 2) and online at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk.