Review - The Mirror Crack'd - People's Theatre

The Mirror Crack'd

People's Theatre

20th January, 2026

The Mirror Crack'd transports us to a changing St Mary Mead - the quaint village has been invaded by new housing at The Development, and Hollywood stars who have taken over Gossington Hall. Each one has had an unwelcome effect on the status quo of the village. The Development has brought working class incomers, supermarkets and featureless housing, and distrust, while Hollwood has brought excitement, intrigue, brash glamour ...and, of course, murder. 

The murder victim is a local woman of no interest other than the fact that she has been murdered at the party thrown by Hollywood star Marina Gregg. 

As the investigation begins, the assumption is made that Heather Leigh has been murdered by mistake and that the obvious intended victim is none other than Marina Gregg. After all, it was Marina's fatally poisoned strawberry daiquiri that Heather drank, was it not? And what reason would anyone have to murder a nobody such as Heather Leigh? 

The suspects are identified - everyone who was at the party is questioned. Marina's husband is the key suspect; perhaps he needed money to fund his film-making and would inherit Marina's fortune? Or perhaps her staff held a grudge - she was a difficult person to work for.  Even Miss Marple's friend, Dolly, who has given up her home to these brash American's. No-one is beyond suspicion except Marina herself and Cyril Leigh, Heather's husband, a man of as little significance as his mistakenly murdered wife.  He is constantly brushed aside despite his many attempts to speak to Chief Inspector Craddock. 

The play is cleverly staged with the "off-stage" characters always visible, seated at the back of the stage and brought forward to replay their part in the events as required, and alongside them are the props and sound effects, doorbells and telephones ringing, doors banging... But watch carefully - not everyone is in view all of the time and perhaps, if the  audience is paying attention they may garner a clue or two in among the waiting props and characters? Who can tell? 

It's an interesting play. Miss Marple, hampered by a sprained ankle, is not quite at her sleuthing best and appears more affected by the train of events than is usual in previous mysteries. It almost feels as if the murder and its solution are almost secondary to the themes that are revealed.  Love and loss, parenthood, the nature of friendship, and of loyalty, are all key in this strange coming together of social classes. It is more about what appears to be true rather than what actually is true, and of the assumptions that are made based on people's social standing. The face that people show to the world is not always their true self, and sometimes the truly real people are barely seen at all. 

There are many red herrings, and of course a twist that you (hopefully) won't see coming at all. But Miss Marple, despite her distraction, eventually knits it all together. Sterling performances by all the cast who kept us guessing to the end in this clever and imaginatively produced play. 

The Mirror Crack'd runs until Saturday 24th January and is an excellent start to the People's new season. 

*images by Paul Hood

Denise Sparrowhawk

The Hollow - People's Theatre - Review

The Hollow
People's Theatre
18th Jan 2022 

You know that life is starting to get back to normal when you're at The People's Theatre for an Agatha Christie mystery in January! It's not entirely back to normal - Tuesday evenings are still socially distanced which meant there were lots of spaces between the audience and we were wearing masks, but we were at the theatre looking at the familiar set of an affluent country house living room, complete with French windows to the terrace. 

It's difficult to review an Agatha Christie without giving away spoilers - so suffice to say that someone in The Hollow comes to an untimely end and the rest of the cast are under suspicion, and each one as likely as the other to have committed the deadly deed! Personally I feel the victim may have deserved it, not the most sympathetic of the characters in this play and it's a tribute to the performance of the cast member (who I can't name as that would give too much away...) that I disliked them so much! 

The play follows the Christie formula - lots of suspects and lots of red herrings, hints at shared childhood experiences and past adventures and misdeeds amongst the characters, all of which add to the intrigue. the first Act builds to the climax of the murder with everyone in the audience wondering which one is for the chop. Act two introduces the detective and the long process of unpicking the puzzle and uncovering the murderer. I have to say, I had my suspicions, but Agatha is adept at throwing us off the scent so I did waver back and forth quite a bit, but in the end deduced correctly, without being entirely sure of the means! 

There is a great deal of character building and background filling, necessary but which did mean the suspense waned at times, plus this is a bit of an epic at over two and a half hours. However, that said  this is a well executed play with some really lovely performances. I particularly liked Kirstie Corfield as the eccentric and absentminded, but lovable, Lady Lucy Angkatell, and Steve Strouzer as the long-serving, stoic and loyal Butler, Gudgeon. 

The costumes were on point with lovely evening frocks and stylish day wear for the ladies, smart suits and tweeds for the gentlemen, and the set was a perfect rendition of the aforementioned country house.

Overall a great evening's entertainment - and if they could shave a few minutes off the running time would be the only improvement! 

The Hollow runs till Saturday 22nd January. It's well worth a visit to the Peoples Theatre and I would recommend it if you are making your first foray back into social events - their set up feels reassuringly safe and fuss free. 

Denise Sparrowhawk