The intrigue of what really happened to Agatha Christie at the moment of her disappearance has fascinated people for decades. She always insisted she didn’t remember; and her husband had been suspected of her murder. There has been endless speculation, and here we are tantalised with Philip Meeks’ play promising a revelation, set at the moment where Agatha Christie meets Margaret Rutherford, the first person to play her beloved creation of Miss Marple on film, much to Christie’s chagrin.
And Rutherford is another with a secret, hinted at throughout the play and eventually, after many conversations, dreams and hints, her tragic tale is told to Agatha’s compassionate ear. The parrying between these two women of equal power is a lovely thing, each with their own rich personal history as well as public persona. It’s well known that Christie disapproved of Rutherford: the Queen of Comedy, who was cast as the Queen of Crime’s creation. Yet Meeks’ own research showed that Christie became fond of Rutherford and admired her performance.
It’s an intriguing premise of a play, one that will create interest among Christie fans. The interesting device is that there is a third character parrying between them both, unseen sometimes and seen at others: Miss Marple herself. Here the always watchable Janice Jones is every bit “birdlike” and “diminutive” as Christie describes her, yet appeared a little uncertain on opening night: this will no doubt develop as the run progresses. The always excellent Sharon Drain is Christie in a beautifully restrained performance, giving us a woman who is brim full of character and history, yet with her cards close to her chest.
Denise Evans shines as Margaret Rutherford, totally taking the stage any time she appears. She is also made up to look alarming like her namesake. She is naturally funny, and at times a little bonkers, which from the Marple films of the time and what we know of the real woman is in perfect keeping with her character. There are lots of nuggets of information in the play, such as Rutherford’s throw away comments about her husband’s close friendship with Sir John Geilgood and their sojourns to Soho – conclusions can clearly be drawn. There’s even a delightful throw away comment about E Nesbitt, who is the subject of another of Meeks’ plays.
The production itself seems a little hesitant, and in places quite slow. The stage is also filled with mainly non speaking parts looking on as if the entire play is on a busy film set, which is interesting, however as the subject matter is about secrets being excavated and told in private and with intimacy, this wider busy setting doesn’t quite land. If this play was an intimate three hander instead, with more pace in places, it wouldn’t need its two and a half hour length to tell the story. This has much potential with fine performances, but would benefit from some added details and tightening in direction.
New Venture Theatre 15 May 2026
Murder Margaret and Me runs until 23 May 2026
Photos credit: Strat Mastoris
