The Mirror Crack'd - Altrincham Garrick

FEW of us can resist the temptation to play detective, safe in the knowledge that whatever we decide won’t impact the real world.

And so it is in The Mirror Crack’d, originally from the pen of the queen of suspense, Agatha Christie and adapted for the stage so effectively by Rachel Wagstaff.

When a suspicious death graduates to becoming a murder, Chief Inspector Dermot Craddock travels to St Mary Mead, a sleepy village where his aunt, who just happens to be the iconic amateur sleuth Miss Jane Marple, lives.

He does this in a bid to tap into her powers of deduction as the investigation he’s leading has ground to a halt.

Jonathan Black and Sarah Kirk are perfect for both roles and make a convincing sort of double act its good fun to see Craddock become increasingly irritated as she upstages him as he tries to solve the crime.

For me, this is Kirk’s best performance at this theatre and she plays Miss M with just the right amount of prim and properness.

While The Mirror Crack’d takes us back in time, the story touches on one or two seropus issues and the characters also feel very real and represent a refreshing antidote to the cardboard cut outs who clutter this particular genre.

Steph Niland exudes quite a presence as the movie star Marina Gregg, shooting a movie in a place that’s every inch middle England and Ros Greenwood is equally good as the epitomy of old school English snobbery, Dolly Bantry. She is horrendous.

Mike Shaw has been running the wardrobe team here for nearly 40 years. However, he’s also a fine and confident director who has ensured the Garrick has a sure fire hit on its hands.

Enjoy.

Tickets are available from 0161 928 1677 or www.altrincham garrick.co.uk.

Star rating - 4.5 out of 5.

Photo - Martin Ogden.