The Secret of Chimneys stars Jonas Armstrong (Robin Hood, The Street), Michelle Collins (Hotel Babylon, EastEnders), Stephen Dillane (Macbeth, The Shooting of Thomas Hurndall), Edward Fox (Oliver Twist, Day of the Jackal), Adam Godley (Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Cor Blimey!), Anthony Higgins (Judge John Deed), Mathew Horne (Gavin and Stacey, Horne and Cordon), Ruth Jones (The Street, Gavin and Stacey), Dervla Kirwan (Law & Order: UK, Doctor Who) and Charlotte Salt (Tudors, Beowulf).

Weekend Party

A lavish weekend party sees Miss Marple accompany Lady Virginia Revel (Charlotte Salt) to her family home of Chimneys, a house which was once prized for its diplomatic gatherings until a rare diamond was stolen from the premises over twenty years ago, which left polite society scandalised as a maid had seemingly disappeared with the famous jewel.

Virginia must decide by the end of the weekend whether to accept a marriage proposal from the tenacious career politician George Lomax (Adam Godley) or to follow her heart and the courtship of another more adventurous suitor, Anthony Cade (Jonas Armstrong), whom she met recently by way of a fortunate accident. Lomax has persuaded Virginia’s father, Lord Caterham (Edward Fox) to host a gathering for an important Austrian Count named Ludwig Von Stainbach (Anthony Higgins).

Lomax is dismayed by the odd array of guests who have been invited and castigates his affable assistant Bill Eversleigh (Mathew Horne), ho has long harboured a soft spot for Virginia. Along with Miss Marple, there is the socialist spinster Miss Blenkinsopp (Ruth Jones), Caterham’s formidable and fiercely protective eldest daughter Bundle (Dervla Kirwan) and the quietly inscrutable and long serving maidservant Treadwell (Michelle Collins).

Count Ludwig takes a personal interest in Chimneys and, after dinner, Caterham entertains discussions about the sale of the house, much to his daughters’ dismay. A deal is drawn up but, in the middle of the night, the house guests are stirred from their beds by security guards. The Count is nowhere to be found. The sound of a gunshot is suddenly heard from a secret passageway in the house. When the group investigate, Count Ludwig is found dead in the arms of Anthony Cade. Why is Cade at Chimneys? Virginia is heartbroken by Cade’s arrest yet protests he is innocent - is her beloved suitor being framed for murder?

Chief Inspector Battle (Stephen Dillane) arrives from Scotland Yard to investigate, enlisting Miss Marple’s help. Together they discover a coded message in the pocket of the dead Count’s clothing which could unlock the mystery. The discovery of a long standing affair between the Count and a mystery woman within Chimneys also ends in tragedy. And when the bones of a long dead servant are uncovered, Miss Marple begins to realise that the secret of Chimneys is darker than even she had realised.

Production

The Secret of Chimneys has been adapted by Paul Rutman and directed by John Strickland. Karen Thrussell produces both current Marple and Poirot series.

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.

One Miss Marple, several actresses

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.

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Marple - The Secret of Chimneys starring Julia McKenzie

Amateur detective Miss Marple investigates murder at a glittering country house weekend party

Starring Julia McKenzie, Edward Fox, Dervla Kirwan, Michelle Collins, Ruth Jones, Jonas Armstrong, Stephen Dillane, Adam Godley & Charlotte Salt.

Photograph of Julia McKenzie in character as Miss Marple for The Secret of Chimneys

Photograph shows Julia McKenzie in character as Miss Marple

The DVD for this programme is not available yet