The Mirror Crack’d at The Mill at Sonning: A Miss Marple Mystery Adapted for the Stage

Rachel Wagstaff’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d, directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, is currently playing at The Mill at Sonning, a theatre just outside Reading, until 31 October. The production features Sara Crowe as film star Marina Gregg and Liza Goddard as Jane Marple. The plot follows Miss Marple, confined to her home with a sprained ankle, as she pieces together accounts of a mysterious incident at Gossington Hall. The review notes that the adaptation retains the essential Christie story but makes Marple a frustratingly passive character for much of the play. The ensemble cast includes Annie Wensak as Dolly Bantry, Elysia Showan as maid Cherry, Jane Quinn as Heather Leigh, and James Mack as Chief Inspector Dermot Craddock. Michael Holt’s set, Jamie Platt’s lighting, Nick Lodge’s sound design, and Natalie Tichener’s hair and costume designs contribute to the period atmosphere. However, the review criticizes the adaptation for lacking elegance, repeating details, diluting social observations, and omitting vital clues, leading to a slow pace and lost tension, especially in Act Two. The ending is described as redundant and detached. The Mill at Sonning offers a riverside setting, a waterwheel bar, and a meal option with most tickets. The reviewer, Dr Diana Carroll, concludes that the production has much to admire but needs sharper editing and more nuanced direction.