The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side stars Samuel Barnett (Desperate Romantics, History Boys), Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Lost in Austen), Brennan Brown (Orange cinema commercials), Michele Dotrice (Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em), Lindsay Duncan (Margaret, Criminal Justice), Nigel Harman (Hotel Babylon, EastEnders), Martin Jarvis (Taking the Flack, Numb3rs), Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous), Caroline Quentin (Blue Murder, Life of Riley), Charlotte Riley (Wuthering Heights, The Take), Victoria Smurfitt (Trial & Retribution), Neil Stuke (Monday, Monday), Hannah Waddingham (Spamalot) and singer Will Young.

The Plot

The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side tells the story of Hollywood star Marina Gregg (Duncan), who has left the palm trees and bright lights of Los Angeles for the leafy lanes and picturesque countryside of St Mary Mead, England. She has taken up residence at Gossington Hall with her dashing young English husband, film director Jason Rudd (Harman), his secretary, Ella Blunt (Smurfitt) and her personal assistant, Hailey Preston (Brown).

When the glamorous couple decide to throw a party, the grounds are abuzz with curious locals, including previous owner of Gossington Hall Dolly Bantry. But when fan Heather Badcock (Quentin) consumes a poisoned daiquiri, Marina finds herself starring in a real-life mystery, supported by Miss Marple (McKenzie) and Inspector Hewitt (Bonneville), who suspect that the lethal cocktail was intended for someone other than Marina’s harmless admirer.

Miss Marple, her friend Dolly (Joanna Lumley) and the local Inspector Hewitt (Hugh Bonneville) soon set about unravelling a host of secrets about the mysterious guests at the reception, including enigmatic young photographer Margot Bence (Charlotte Riley), Marina’s ex-husband and Hollywood journalist Vincent Hogg (Martin Jarvis) and young American actress Lola Brewster (Hannah Waddingham), who also happens to be Jason’s ex-lover.

The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side has been adapted by Kevin Elyot and directed by Tom Shankland. Karen Thrussell produces both current Marple and Poirot series.

Julia McKenzie

Renowned for her work with Stephen Sondheim, Julia has starred in The Philadelphia Story at the Old Vic, and has achieved numerous awards, both on Broadway and in the West End. She won an Olivier for her performance as Mrs Lovett in the National Theatre production of Sweeney Todd. Julia has appeared in Cranford as Mrs Forrester and the critically acclaimed Notes on a Scandal. Earlier credits include Fresh Fields, Bright Young Things and Blott on the Landscape.

Julia is the seventh actress to take on the much-loved character of Miss Marple on screen, following in the footsteps of Geraldine McEwan, Gracie Fields, Margaret Rutherford, Angela Lansbury, Helen Hayes and Joan Hickson.

Agatha Christie

The Marple stories are co-produced by ITV Studios and Agatha Christie Ltd, a Chorion company, and US network WGBH. Mammoth Screen’s Michele Buck and Damien Timmer executive produce Marple on behalf of ITV Studios. Rebecca Eaton is Executive Producer for WGBH.

Christie remains the most popular novelist in history, with her work being published in 50 languages in over 70 countries and more than two billion of her books sold to date. As well as the renowned Poirot and Miss Marple series, Christie also wrote the detective series Tommy and Tuppence and a wealth of other murder mysteries and thrillers between 1920 and 1976 including the bestselling And Then There Were None and the record breaking play The Mousetrap.

LWT began broadcasting Agatha Christie's Poirot in 1989 and the BBC was previously the producer of the Miss Marple dramas.

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Marple: The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side - Julia McKenzie

Amateur detective Miss Marple investigates murder of movie fan Heather Badcock

Starring Julia McKenzie, Joanna Lumley, Hugh Bonneville, Michele Dotrice, Martin Jarvis, Caroline Quentin, Victora Smurfitt & Caroline Riley.

Photograph of Julia McKenzie in character as Miss Marple for The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side

Photograph shows Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple