agatha christie marple a caribbean mystery production...
TRANSCRIPT
A Caribbean Mystery
Adapted by Charlie Higson
Produced by Peter McAleese
Directed by Charlie Palmer
2
PRODUCTION NOTES
***The information contained herein is strictly embargoed from all press use, non-‐commercial publication, or syndication until
Tuesday 11 June 2013***
Press release ............................................................................. Page 3
Character profiles ...................................................................... Page 4
Interview with Julia McKenzie ................................................... Page 6
Interview with Charlie Higson .................................................... Page 8
Interview with Antony Sher ....................................................... Page 11
Cast list ..................................................................................... Page 15
Production credits ..................................................................... Page 16
ITV PRESS OFFICE Press contact: Natasha Bayford -‐ 0161 952 6209 / [email protected] Picture contact: Patrick Smith -‐ 0207 157 3044 / [email protected]
3
PRESS RELEASE
Julia McKenzie returns with a stellar cast to crack A Caribbean Mystery Olivier award-‐winning actress Julia McKenzie returns as Britain’s much-‐loved spinster sleuth, Miss Marple, in the first of three new Agatha Christie adaptions to screen on ITV. Scripted by comedian, author and actor Charlie Higson, who has a cameo as the unassuming American Ornithologist James Bond, A Caribbean Mystery stars Robert Webb (Fresh Meat, Peep Show, That Mitchell and Webb Look), Montserrat Lombard (Ashes to Ashes, Roman’s Empire, Love Soup), Daniel Rigby (Eric & Ernie, One Man Two Guvnors), Hermione Norris (A Mother’s Son, Bouquet of Barbed Wire, Spooks), MyAnna Buring (The Twilight Saga, White Heat, Blackout), Warren Brown (Good Cop, Luther), Oliver Ford Davies (Game of Thrones, Star Wars, The Way We Live Now), Alastair Mackenzie (Black Mirror, New Town Killers, Monarch of the Glen), Pippa Bennett Warner (Case Histories, Come Fly With Me), Charity Wakefield (Leaving, Sense & Sensibility), Antony Sher (The Shadow Line, Henry III, Shakespeare in Love), recent graduate Kingsley Ben-‐Adir and South African actor Anele Matoti. A Caribbean Mystery finds Miss Marple (Julia McKenzie) far from St Mary Mead in a lavish hotel on the tropical island of St. Honore. However, the Golden Palms resort proves itself to be far from the heavenly retreat it first seemed, when fellow guest Major Palgrave (Oliver Ford Davies) dies shortly after his arrival, following an evening of exotic food, Planter’s Punch, and a specially arranged “Voodoo show”.
Miss Marple alone is unconvinced by the “official” verdict that Palgrave died from a heart attack, and recruits the curmudgeonly business tycoon, Jason Rafiel (Antony Sher), to be her reluctant sidekick. Together they unpick a web of deceit and “dark magic”.
Despite Miss Marple’s conviction that another murder is imminent, the local police chief, Inspector Daventry (Anele Matoti), stubbornly refuses to take this sweet-‐natured spinster seriously. That is until the brutal deaths of a hotel maid and a second guest.
Suddenly every one of the hotel’s intriguing guests and its owners, Tim (Robert Webb) and Molly Kendall (Charity Wakefield), becomes a suspect, and it is left to Agatha Christie's iconic detective to unravel the truth, and apprehend this paradise island’s dangerous killer.
Filmed on location in South Africa, A Caribbean Mystery is directed by Charlie Palmer (Death in Paradise, Lark Rise to Candleford, Doctor Who) and produced by Peter McAleese (Serena, Unknown, The Flood and Doomsday). The Marple stories are co-‐produced by ITV Studios and Agatha Christie Ltd, an RLJ Entertainment group company, and the US network WGBH. Mammoth Screen’s Michele Buck, Damien Timmer and Karen Thrussell executive produce Marple on behalf of ITV Studios. Hilary Strong is executive producer for Agatha Christie Ltd and Rebecca Eaton is executive producer for WGBH. ITV Global holds international distribution rights. Note to Editors: A Caribbean Mystery was first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on November 16, 1964. The novel introduces Jason Rafiel who posthumously directs Miss Marple’s enquires in Nemesis.
4
CHARACTER PROFILES
JASON RAFIEL played by Antony Sher A wheelchair-‐bound tycoon who is on holiday at the Golden Palms resort. He is curmudgeonly and doesn’t suffer fools gladly, but recognises there is much more to Miss Marple than meets the eye. Gradually he becomes her confidante and friend. MOLLY KENDALL played by Charity Wakefield Molly inherited the Golden Palms resort from her parents, and now runs the hotel with her husband Tim. According to rumour, she has a rather chequered history. Recently she claims to have been suffering from blackouts and nightmares, which are making her increasingly erratic and vague. TIM KENDALL played by Robert Webb Nice, but slightly dull Tim rescued Molly from a relationship with a rotter back in England. He sometimes feels slightly out of his depth surrounded by the hotel’s upper class guests, but he is determined to be successful and take care of his fragile wife. MAJOR PALGRAVE played by Oliver Ford Davies A fixture and fitting at Golden Palms, Palgrave drinks and talks too much. He particularly loves boring his fellow guests with salacious stories of murders and affairs, and he has a photo to illustrate every tale. LUCKY DYSON played by MyAnna Buring Beautiful and gregarious, but worn down by life and lies, Lucky relies on drugs to numb her despair and help her forget her unhappy marriage and the terrible things she has done. GREG DYSON played by Charles Mesure Lucky’s photographer husband, Greg has an eye for the ladies as well as a picture. He has a quick temper, which is often fuelled by too much alcohol. EVELYN HILLINGDON played by Hermione Norris Evelyn is the embodiment of buttoned-‐up and upper-‐class English reserve and some might even say her temperament is cold. But despite her detached disinterest, she knows many dark secrets. EDWARD HILLINGDON played by Alastair MacKenzie Colonel Hillingdon may seem the epitome of respectability, but beneath this façade he is a mess of mixed-‐up and repressed emotions, and his unrequited lust for Lucky has already driven him to very desperate measures.
5
JACKSON played by Warren Brown Mr Rafiel’s valet and personal medic, Jackson is a former military man who left the army under rather a dark cloud. CANON PRESCOTT played by Daniel Rigby The Canon has been visiting St. Honore for years in order to help the island’s poor and needy. However, despite his desire to be good, he is hiding some very impure thoughts. ESTHER WALTERS played by Montserrat Lombard Rafiel’s secretary, Esther is somewhat mousy and has been rather sidelined by life. She longs for the love of a good man, even if that man might be someone else’s husband. VICTORIA played by Pippa Bennett Warner A young maid at Golden Palms, Victoria is pretty and mischievous; but also stubborn and driven, determined to do anything to look after her sick child. JAMES BOND played by Charlie Higson An American ornithological expert who gives a lecture at the Golden Palms and is rudely interrupted by a murder. ERROL played by Kingsley Ben-‐Adir Victoria’s hot headed boyfriend and a waiter at the hotel. MAMA ZOGBE played by Andrea Dondolo St. Honore’s resident witch doctor, Mama Zogbe hands out potions and voodoo dolls to her troubled visitors – for a price. INSPECTOR DAVENTRY played by Anele Matoti The officer heading up the investigation into the hotel’s mysterious deaths, Daventry is initially very dismissive of Miss Marple and her theories. SERGEANT WESTON played by Joe Vaz Daventry’s bagman, who is more deferential to Golden Palms’s guests, but unfortunately fairly ineffectual.
6
INTERVIEW WITH JULIA MCKENZIE How does it feel to be back on screen as Britain’s much-‐loved spinster sleuth, Miss Marple? I love playing Miss Marple so I was delighted to return to the character. In the beginning I think I might have thrown too much energy at the character but I’ve since taken more time over her and I feel much more confident and comfortable with the characterisation. How does Miss Marple come to be on the tropical island of St. Honore? There is an explanation in one of the scenes when you find out Marple has had a rather bad bout of pneumonia and that her ever-‐supportive nephew has sent her to the Caribbean to recuperate and get some sun. That said, when we began filming in South Africa last September we only had three days of sunshine! What does Miss Marple make of her exotic surroundings? I found some similarities to a film I was in called Hotel Du Lac about a single woman staying in a hotel and what she thinks about the other people turns out to be the complete opposite. Marple has never been this far away from home before so it’s a very strange world to her. Being inquisitive she’s honing in to various couples trying to establish who they are and what things mean. But it’s the view of someone who is on their own in a hotel full of couples. Then gradually she thinks ‘Oh, that wasn’t what I thought it was.’ Although staying at the hotel alone it’s not long before Miss Marple has company. Major Palgrave (Oliver Ford Davies) picks Marple up for company but he’s so terribly boring and she’s a little too polite to say ‘you’re boring’, so in fact she becomes quite motherly towards him when he gets overly drunk. But it’s in her nature to look after people. Marple forms quite an unusual alliance with another hotel guest, the curmudgeonly business tycoon, Mr Rafiel (Antony Sher). A couple of times when Marple is approaching Mr Rafiel at the hotel and she can see he doesn’t want her anywhere near him she bounces in front of him in a ‘hello, here I am’ kind of way. Although Mr Rafiel is rude to her she’s rather rude back. I actually think she gets quite fond of him. As viewers will see Mr Rafiel is very poorly and our last scene together is quite touching. Marple is aware that he knows he’s going to die because of ill health and she respects him in many ways.
7
Even on the beach Miss Marple still has her knitting needles click clacking away. Are they part of her tactics to look naïve and approachable? Marple is a knitter but oh yes, very much so. I also think it gives her a different tempo to consider all of the clues. She gets into her knitting and she thinks things through until they become much clearer in her mind. Mr Rafael’s summation of her is ‘silly old women who knit, it annoys me’ but she just carries on. A Caribbean Mystery is scripted by Charlie Higson. What did you enjoy the most about his adaptation? The script was a real treat and I like it very much. It has lightness despite the fact characters are being killed and you get to see Marple in a very different world. Rather than Marple engaging with her village characters, the fact we were filming the story abroad gave me something else to play which the audience hasn’t seen before. On the night Charlie filmed his cameo as James Bond it was raining so heavily that we were all sheltering inside. We got to have a little natter then and he’s a very sweet and intelligent man. I think he was slightly taken back as he said ‘I can’t believe all these terrific actors are saying my words.’ Filming took place in South Africa. Did you have an opportunity to explore the city whilst you were there? I didn’t have an awful lot of time between filming to explore South Africa. However, before production began I was able to travel up Table Mountain where the views are breath taking. Because it’s a long way up I wasn’t sure I would be able to hold my nerve, but I’m so glad I did as it was absolutely spectacular and not scary at all. The highs and lows of filming in South Africa… The highs: There is no jet lag when flying to South Africa. I was treated brilliantly by everyone and was fortunate to stay at the Mount Nelson Hotel -‐ a really old fashioned and wonderful place with a gorgeous spa. The lows: The weather, which I believe, was unusual for that time of year (September 2012). It was cold and wet. We’d had such a rotten summer in the UK and I was expecting to see some sun but sadly there wasn’t much! That said it is a lovely city and everything else was a real bonus.
8
INTERVIEW WITH WRITER AND ACTOR CHARLIE HIGSON What was your greatest challenge when adapting Agatha Christie’s A Caribbean Mystery? The hardest part in any Agatha Christie adaptation must be getting the balance right between mystery and confusion and hiding things and showing them. The viewer has to have a fighting chance of working the story out for themselves, but it can’t be too obvious. Christie wrote a mind-‐blowing number of mystery books over the course of 50 years. To keep coming up with ingenious twists and sleights of hand must have been increasingly difficult for her. Most mystery writers are lucky if they come up with two or three really clever ideas, Christie came up with countless. A Caribbean Mystery is a lot of fun and the book has some great stuff in it, particularly the growing relationship between Marple and grumpy old Mr Rafiel, which is almost a love story. But you always read (or watch) a Christie adaptation trying to spot her central cunning twist, and it can be quite easy to see through this one. I am a huge admirer of Christie, and taking the book apart to see how it works was fascinating. Like all her books it’s very intricately and meticulously constructed, but seems on the surface to be perfectly simple and straightforward. I'm not for one moment trying to suggest that I can improve on her plotting, but we’ve seen so many adaptations of her work over the years that I think modern audiences might be a little too canny and a screenwriter has to work just that little bit harder to throw them off the scent. Did you feel a responsibility to be true to Agatha Christie’s original work? This is Agatha Christie we’re talking about here, I'm just Charlie Higson! For various practical reasons the script had been a long-‐time gestating and the clue to why this was the case is in the title, ‘A Caribbean Mystery’. It's the only time that Miss Marple ever leaves England, so it was always going to be an expensive script to shoot. Christie is still the most widely read author in the world, and her readers don’t like you to muck about too much. When it comes to adapting Christie it's actually much better to stay as true as possible to the original books. That being said, I have managed to put in some stuff of my own, and still have some fun with it. As I’ve said, the hardest work I had to do was trying to disguise the central trick, and add in some more layers of intrigue. My final version, though, is for the most part very faithful to the book, which, as a novelist myself, I am all in favour of. Whatever else you may say about Christie, her plots were amazingly well structured and constructed and they always made perfectly logical sense, so you tinker at your peril.
9
Have you always been a fan of Agatha Christie’s work? Like everyone else in the world (or so it seems) I’ve read a fair few Christies over the years. I love a mystery as much as anyone and as a writer I am in awe of her ingenious plotting. You don’t get to be the world’s best selling novelist of all time by writing rubbish books. Comparing your adaptation to the novel, what are the biggest changes you’ve made? In any adaptation of a novel you have to do two things to make it work for the screen. You have to first lose quite a lot, and then you have to add in new components. In my case I had to combine several characters. Where I felt that two people were fulfilling the same function I have merged them. There is a strong feeling in the book that while most characters are suspects, one or two are simply there to give out information. So I have telescoped some of these secondary characters, or grafted them onto suspects, so that everyone is pulling their weight. I've not included Doctor Graham, for instance, who was one of those characters who only seem to be there to dispense handy medical information, and I've taken out some of the gossipy guests, like the Canon's wife and Senora de Caspearo. Not only can all these characters become confusing on screen if there are too many of them, it's also quite expensive! I've also made the Canon himself much younger and made him a little more central to the plot. As well as trimming or combining some minor characters and incidents, I've introduced one major new character, Mama Zogbe, who has a shop selling voodoo artefacts, and two minor characters, Ian Fleming and James Bond. This allowed me to bring in two of my own pet obsessions, zombies and James Bond, but rest assured it all remains true to the spirit of Christie and her ruthless sense of logic. The reason for inventing Mama Zogbe was simple; although this is the only time that Marple ever leaves England, the story might just as well have taken place on the Isle of Wight. The characters in the book rarely, if ever, leave the hotel, there is very little local culture, and it’s a standard hotel murder mystery plot with a confined and finite group of suspects. The producers obviously wanted to make more of the fact that it was set in the Caribbean and to try to open it out where possible and introduce some more local characters – although, as we ended up filming in South Africa, this proved to be quite tricky. Why did you decide to introduce the characters James Bond and Ian Fleming? One of the first things the producers said to me when I was hired was where possible they liked to work genuine historical figures into the Marple scripts. As my story was set in the Caribbean in the 50s we decided it might be fun to introduce Ian Fleming, who had a house on Jamaica (Goldeneye), which is where he wrote all of his James Bond novels. He was also really into his wildlife, in particular birds and fishes, and he got the name of his secret agent from an American ornithologist, James Bond, who had written a book called ‘Birds Of The West Indies’.
10
As we were going to have Ian Fleming in the story I thought why not put in James Bond as well? The ornithologist not the secret agent. So I have written a scene where James Bond comes to give a talk on birds at the hotel where Miss Marple is staying, and Ian Fleming is in attendance. To combine these two great literary estates in one scene felt right somehow. I made sure that the talk was central to the action and it gives some of our suspects a watertight alibi – If they were seen at the lecture they couldn't have committed one of the murders. For the real James Bond fanatics out there, there is a subplot involving guano that is also introduced at this talk -‐ Fleming's book, ‘Doctor No’, is set on a Caribbean island where the eponymous doctor makes his fortune harvesting guano, basically bird poo, that is turned into very valuable fertiliser. And in the book James Bond kills No by burying him beneath a shower of the stuff. So there are many levels to this scene and many in-‐jokes. Your fascination with Zombies also comes in to this story. Tell us more about this? The Caribbean is the home of voodoo, and of course it’s where Roger Moore’s first Bond film, ‘Live And Let Die’, which also concerns voodoo, takes place. This gave me the ideal opportunity to work some zombies into a Marple story. As I said before there is very little local colour and flavour in the book so visually I thought it would be fun to add this element to the script. I have tried to be sympathetic in my approach to this and show the difference between the silly theatrical side of voodoo that is put on for the tourists and the other side of it, a form of alternative medicine for the impoverished locals. I also felt that the idea of a zombie, somebody who should be dead but is walking around, seemed very much like a classic Agatha Christie device. In the end we realise that there is nothing supernatural going on but I hope we’ve had some scary fun along the way. What can you tell us about your time filming with Julia McKenzie and the stellar ensemble cast? To have top actors speak your lines is always a thrill, and we did get a very good cast for this script. Usually as a writer you're not involved in this part of the process and, as I say, I never intended to play the part of James Bond, so it was a treat for me to meet and work with them. Working with Julia was a joy. She's very conscientious about the part and having been in so many episodes (and a huge Christie fan) she knows the character inside out. It was great to have her input into the script and her lines. I must say it was enormous fun sharing a minibus ride to the location with the likes of Anthony Sher, Daniel Rigby, Robert Webb, Oliver Ford Davies and Warren Brown. Plus, I also got to have a night out on the town, which was a bonus. It's a filming cliché to say it but everyone involved in the production, the cast, the crew, the producers, were genuinely lovely and supportive. It was just a shame that we had such vile weather during the shoot.
11
Anthony Sher grew up in Cape Town so it was very interesting talking to him about South Africa. Oliver Ford Davies had played the seminal Christie role of Dr Sheppard in a Poirot adaptation of ‘The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd’, back in 2000 so there was a lot to talk about. The thing about making a Christie is – it’s fun. It’s not high, emotionally wrenching drama. You get to dress up in some nice old clobber, share some time with a large ensemble cast, maybe get to be a murderer or a victim… it’s a great British tradition. Actors love doing it, it’s almost like a holiday, especially if you get to go to South Africa. The only person I knew from the cast was Robert Webb. I've known him for years as we did an episode of ‘Fun At The Funeral Parlour’ together way back in 2001. I share my one and only scene with Robert and we found ourselves sitting on set together for quite some time. We both come from the comedy world rather than the ‘proper acting’ world and I must confess we did rather get the giggles, like a couple of naughty schoolboys. Did you get the opportunity to explore South Africa whilst you were there? It was literally a flying visit. I was only really there for three days and the weather was rotten. I tried to see the sights, including a trip in a cable car to the top of Table Mountain with a couple of the cast, but unfortunately when we got up there the cloud had come in and visibility was zero. It was also freezing cold and very wet but I think we saw the funny side. What other projects do you have coming up? I currently have the paperback of the latest book in my teenage zombie series, ‘The Sacrifice’ out and my next hardback ‘The Fallen’ will be released in September. The new series of ‘Down the Line’ for Radio 4 with Paul Whitehouse started in May and I’ve a one-‐off Olympics legacy special going out in late June.
12
ANTONY SHER IS MR RAFIEL IN A CARIBBEAN MYSTERY What attracted you to this particular Marple film? I’m a fan of the Agatha Christie adaptations. I really enjoy sitting down in front of the telly and watching them because they are made to such a high standard, which makes them so thoroughly enjoyable. A Caribbean Mystery seems particularly well written with a nice thread of humour, which is not surprising given that Charlie Higson has adapted it. The story has a terrific and fascinating group of characters that are, as always, deeply intriguing. Tell us about your character, Mr Rafiel. Mr Rafiel is the ultimate grumpy old man. He’s monstrously bad-‐tempered and a real misanthrope. He hates mankind and the character is written completely uncompromisingly as this very uncommunicative, antisocial man who was an absolute pleasure to play. Tell me about the relationship Mr Rafiel has with Esther and his Nurse, Jackson (Warren Brown)? Esther is Mr Rafiel’s personal assistant and Jackson is his nurse and masseur. Rafiel is completely monstrous to them. It’s an illustration of how not to treat people who are working for you. He’s just so rude and dismissive towards them. My partner and I would often go for Sunday lunch in a hotel just outside of Stratford and a regular guest was a grumpy old man who used to be sat at the table alongside us. We were astonished by how impolite this man was to the waiters and we both became so fascinated and embarrassed by his sheer rudeness as there is certainly no need for such behaviour when someone is trying to take your order and do their job. So he became the inspiration for how Mr Rafiel should treat his own staff. So this observation became the basis for your character? Yes, because otherwise you would read a script like Marple and think ‘this is just improbable, nobody would be so rude.’ But of course the moment I read it I thought ‘Oh, Mr Rafiel, he’s just like that man from the hotel.’ After the death of Major Palgrave (Oliver Ford Davies), is Mr Rafiel ever fearful for his own life whilst staying on the Island of St. Honore? Mr Rafiel suggests himself that he could be next in line following the death of Major Palgrave because what I’ve not mentioned until now is that he’s a very rich man and vulnerable because of his health. The death of Major Palgrave doesn’t seem to fill him with fear so much; it intrigues him and makes him interested in solving the mystery. The realisation that he could be a victim prompts him to unravel the case with Miss Marple rather than hide himself away.
13
Considering how obnoxious Mr Rafiel is do you think Esther and Jackson are only investing in him because of his wealth? Mr Rafiel pays Esther and Jackson very well and at one point during the film he analyses whether either of them could be the murderer and if they might be out to get his money. He’s probably more valuable to them alive rather than dead. Marple is quick to recruit Mr Rafiel to be her reluctant sidekick. What observations do they make about the other hotel guests?
They’ve both got different views about the other hotel guests but they find it stimulating to work together. From Mr Rafiel’s point of view Miss Marple surprises him. In typical fashion he initially pigeonholes her as a gentle and fluffy old lady, but then discovers there’s another side to this woman.
One of the really nice things to play as an actor in the journey of this tale is that actually through the unlikely friendship and association between the two characters you start to see a gentler and more vulnerable side of Mr Rafiel’s nature than when we initially meet him.
What do you think Julia McKenzie brings to the role of Miss Marple? Julia is brilliant in the role of Miss Marple. On the surface she is playing the character with such charm and gentleness and yet underneath there’s a steely, intelligent observation going on. I think it’s a real achievement to do both things at the same time; to seem like a harmless old lady and yet be this lethal detective. Julia is also the most wonderful leading actress. To be playing the main role in something, it’s not just enough to be good at your job, of acting, but part of your job is to actually lead the rest of the cast and production. I really admired the way Julia could do that. We had some pretty rough weather conditions and tough night shoots which were cold and rainy, which nobody anticipated at that time of year in South Africa, but she would always keep her own spirits up and ours too. There were enormous amounts of laughter on set that she would engender and Julia would always look after our interests and needs. She was a real pleasure to work with. Why do you think Agatha Christie’s work has such enduring appeal? I think it’s partly because the subject matter is dealing with the one thing we fear and have the most taboo about which is death. All of Agatha’s pieces are about death and murder but in such an unexpected way and where she turns the story into a game. As an audience we’re able to deal with this very scary subject but in a slightly playful way and I think that’s part of what’s endured her work for so long.
14
Born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, did you have an opportunity to visit friends and family? I left Cape Town at the age of nineteen but I still have family there. My partner and me go back to South Africa once a year to see them. Whilst filming Marple I chose a hotel that the other cast members weren’t staying in because it was situated on the very road where the house is where I grew up, which my younger brother now has with his family. It was a lovely experience to be able to look out of my hotel room, see the family house and of course the view of the sea and the bay, which is an area of Cape Town I know best. We’re you able to give your fellow cast members any tips on the area? The cast and crew would inevitably ask and the obvious suggestions were; you must go up Table Mountain on a good weather day because the view is incredible. You must also go to Robin Island because it’s a spectacular trip and also very, very moving when you get there. The guides who take you around the prison and show you Mandela’s cell are all ex-‐prisoners so it’s all done extremely sensitively. September is also whale watching season when the southern right whales gather round a place called Hermanus, which is just up from Cape Town. At this particular time of year people travel from all over the world for the fantastic whale watching opportunities so I was encouraging people to do that. As it happened the whales were there in such numbers that we actually saw them right around the coastline of Cape Town all the time we were there. People would get terribly excited in the middle of really pressured filming. The entire cast and crew would suddenly realise there were some whales passing and would rush to the shore whilst the first assistant director would be trying his best to get us to carry on with filming. I remember one day him saying whilst laughing ‘this is hopeless. I’m fighting a losing battle here, I can’t fight whales!’
15
CAST LIST Julia McKenzie ............................................................................................ Miss Marple
Robert Webb ............................................................................................... Tim Kendall
Charity Wakefield .................................................................................................. Molly
Sir Antony Sher ................................................................................................. Mr Rafiel
Daniel Rigby ............................................................................................ Canon Prescott
Warren Brown .................................................................................................... Jackson
Montserrat Lombard ............................................................................... Esther Walters
Alastair Mackenzie ............................................................... Colonel Edward Hillingdon
Pippa Bennett Warner ........................................................................................ Victoria
Charles Mesure ............................................................................................ Greg Dyson
Kingsley Ben-‐Adir .................................................................................................... Errol
Hermione Norris .................................................................................. Evelyn Hillingdon
Joe Vaz ................................................................................................. Sergeant Weston
Anele Matoti .................................................................................... Inspector Daventry
MyAnna Buring ........................................................................................... Lucky Dyson
Oliver Ford Davies .................................................................................. Major Palgrave
Andrea Dondolo ........................................................................................ Mama Zogbe
Jeremy Crutchley .......................................................................................... Ian Fleming
Charlie Higson ............................................................................................. James Bond
16
PRODUCTION LIST
Executive Producers .................................................................................. Michele Buck
.............................................................................................................. Damien Timmer
................................................................................................................ Karen Thrussell
................................................................................................................. Rebecca Eaton
Managing Director Agatha Christie Ltd and Acorn Productions Ltd .......... Hilary Strong
Chairman Agatha Christie Ltd ............................................................. Mathew Prichard
Writer ...................................................................................................... Charlie Higson
Producer ............................................................................................... Peter McAleese
Line Producer ....................................................................................... Jason de Rosner
Series Line Producer ......................................................................... Matthew Hamilton
Director ................................................................................................... Charlie Palmer
Director of Photography ....................................................................... Michael Snyman
Casting Director ......................................................................................... Susie Parriss
Editor .................................................................................................. Matthew Tabern
First AD ......................................................................................................... Paul Judges
Script Editor ................................................................................................ Karen Steele
Production Designer .................................................................................... Jeff Tessler
Art Director ....................................................................................................... Pilar Foy
Costume Designer ................................................................................... Sheena Napier
Make Up Designer .................................................................................... Pam Haddock
Make Up Artist to Julia McKenzie ............................................................ Julie Kendrick
Composer ........................................................................................... Dominik Scherrer
Location Manager ........................................................................................... Katy Fyfe
Production Co-‐ordinator ................................................................................. Pat Bryan