AGATHA Christie fans should have their diaries at the ready as a murder is announced!

A newspaper advertisement actually gives the date of the dreadful deed… All will become much clearer when the Middle Ground Theatre Company present their lavish new production of the classic Miss Marple mystery - A Murder is Announced - at Malvern’s Festival Theatre from Wednesday, September 2 to Saturday, September 5.

It’s very much spelled out for the residents of Chipping Cleghorn, who are astonished to read an advert in their local newspaper that a murder will take place this coming Friday at Little Paddocks, the home of Letitia Blacklock.

‘A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October the thirteenth, at little Paddocks – at six-thirty pm.’

Unable to resist, a group gather at the house at the appointed time, when the lights go out and a gun is fired. Enter Miss Marple, who must unravel a complex series of relationships and events to solve the mystery of the killer...

The murder-mysetry stars Judy Cornwell and Diane Fletcher, who both have distinguished careers spanning over 50 years on stage and screen.

Judy Cornwell is probably best known for her much loved portrayal of Daisy in the hugely successful TV sit-com Keeping Up Appearances, while Diane Fletcher is forever immortalised as Elizabeth Urquhart in House Of Cards.

They are joined by Tom Butcher (PC Steve Loxton in The Bill and Dr Marc Elliott in Doctors), Sarah Thomas, who played Glenda Wilkinson in Last Of The Summer Wine for 24 years, Rachel Bright (Eastenders’ Poppy Meadow), and Dean Smith (Waterloo Road and Last Tango In Halifax).

Judy Cornnwell says her favourite Marple was Joan Hickson, and I had worked with her on a Miss Marple TV episode and seen how professional she was.

“During the episode I was murdered, so it was nice that she solved it! I have always enjoyed Agatha Christie, I think she is jolly clever and it packs the audiences in.”

She added: “I think Miss Marple is an enormous intuition. She’s highly intelligent, and she is extremely observant of every little thing that is going on. I hope I do her justice ‐ she is a very articulate, clever woman. I don’t think she could ever get married, she would know if her husband was up to anything before he even did it!

“I love Miss Marple, she is very underplayed and very normal ‐ she’s got a very good philosophy in life and she is very kind.”