Murder, Margaret and Me

Dame Agatha Christie was President of the Sinodun Players for twenty-five years, and it seems appropriate that the Players should mark the fiftieth anniversary of her death with this intimate three-hander.  It dissects the relationship between Dame Agatha and Dame Margaret Rutherford in the context of the most significant events in each of these ladies’ lives, an exploration facilitated by one of Christie’s most celebrated creations and one of Rutherford’s most consequential acting roles, Miss Jane Marple.

Not that Miss Marple appears amongst the Dramatis Personae: she is billed as “The Spinster”, but we all know who she primarily represents, and she’s there from the very beginning, sat comfortably in her rocking chair downstage left, knitting away and missing nothing.  How should a fictional character interact with real-life icons from the literary and theatrical worlds?  Philip Meeks’ play has them meeting as equals, and here Miss Marple showed little deference to the two Dames who had created and animated her, as she highlighted their foibles and weaknesses.  Dame Agatha was portrayed as an upright and respectable lady, very much in control of herself while retaining a few private secrets of her own, while Dame Margaret, whose public persona was immortalised on celluloid, was gloriously recreated on stage.

Elements of the production had been carefully chosen to support the characterisations, not least the costumes.  The Spinster’s skirt and blouse were suitably prim and businesslike, the outfit of someone who recognises the importance of maintaining standards and getting things right.  Dame Agatha’s elegant dress emphasised her class, status and wealth, as well as feeding into the impression that there was a degree of brittleness and fragility in her character.  Dame Margaret was comfortably dressed in a two-piece suit in a coarser fabric, an outfit which spoke of humbler origins and a more down-to-earth attitude.  This was an object lesson in the benefits of thoughtful costume design.

The set design was dominated by impressively bright projections which filled the cyclorama at the back of the stage, with the scale of the projections intended as a nod to the silver screen.  The artwork, in the style of Eric Ravilious, brought a certain period glamour to the settings: the illustration of Claridge’s was suitably sumptuous, and the free-standing cinematic lamps which dominated the principal backdrop gave context to the friendship between the two Dames.

The projections were complemented by some well-chosen furniture and properties, at least in terms of the messages each piece conveyed to the audience.  Dame Agatha’s relatively modern office chair was complemented by what looked like a vintage dressing table supporting her typewriter; the combination suggested that the author appreciated traditional quality while also being prepared to embrace change.  Dame Margaret evidently eschewed fashion in favour of homely comfort, and her wing-backed armchair was exactly right, as was her upright piano cluttered with ornaments and framed photographs.

The remarkable cast succeeded in creating three intricately drawn and wholly persuasive characters and allowed us to study their interactions as they move from mutual mistrust through grudging acceptance to genuine friendship.  The play was an object lesson in the craft of acting: not only did the actors know their lines thoroughly, but they also shaped their monologues and conversations skilfully with appropriate variations in pace and tone.  They utilised space well, calibrated their body language and gestures precisely, and demonstrated a deft touch with the occasional humorous observation or aside.  It was a particular joy to be reminded about the benefits of marrying an archaeologist.

Critically, the cast embodied the key characteristics of the people, real or imagined, that they had been chosen to portray, and thus had the rapt attention of the audience despite the fact that the play’s narrative thread is not excessively strong.  The production as a whole had that odd and elusive sense of significance, a sense which is resistant to analysis and difficult to identify: a case for Miss Marple, perhaps.  But the quality of the presentation was evident to all, as the Sinodun Players marked the 50th anniversary of Dame Agatha’s passing with a production which was engaging, entertaining and memorable.

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.