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Casting about

RobinHerne 23 Mar 09 at 5:44 p.m. GMT

Which actor/actress would you like to see appear in one of the remaining Poirot or Marple adaptations?

I think John Barrowman would be good as the matinee idol Sir Charles Cartwright, who appears in 'Three Act Tragedy'. He could use his Glaswegian accent ~ or he may be able to do a wellbred English one (never heard him speaking in an English accent, so don't know if he can do one). Though I don't suppose it would greatly alter the story if the character had an American accent.

Robin

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Tommy_A_Jones 03 Apr 09 at 2:35 p.m. GMT

I think Charles Dance would be better in the Role taken by Michael York in the Original, and Roger Moore as Masterton and with Sparkling Cyanide Helen Mirren could play Lucille Drake

Santonix 02 Apr 09 at 8:12 p.m. GMT

Heavens, do I love these!

For Murder on the Orient Express, I would love to see Danielle Darrieux as Princess Dragomiroff, Charles Dance as Masterman, Maia Morgenstern or Lena Olin as Greta Ohlsson, Suzanne von Borsody as Hildegarde Schmidt, Geraldine Somerville as Mary Debenham, and Michael Constantine as Dr. Constantine.

For A Caribbean Mystery, they should up the ante with casting and get Michael Caine for Jason Rafiel. I can think of no other who would be so perfect for that role. Ian McDiarmid could be Dr. Graham, Sarah Miles as Joan Prescott, Bruce Campbell as Greg Dyson, and Emily Mortimer as Molly Kendal.

If they do Sparkling Cyanide as a Marple, then I want to see Hugh Fraser as George Barton, Claudie Blakley as Ruth Lessing, and Kelly Macdonald and Tom Hollander as the Farradays.

Three Act Tragedy. Oh my. In a perfect world, I would watch Daniel Day-Lewis as Sir Charles Cartwright, but I fear that is not possible. Maybe Jason Isaacs? Is Jeremy Irons doing anything? Robert Hardy as Rev. Babbington, John Sessions as Mr. Satterthwaite, Olivia Hussey as Lady Mary Lytton Gore, Anne Reid as either Mrs. Babbington or Miss Milray, Gemma Arterton as Egg, Ben Whishaw as Oliver Manders.

The Mirror Crack'd: Patricia Routledge as Miss Knight, Lisa Kudrow (oh, she *must* be affordable) as Ella Zielinsky, and that's all I got.

Didn't Helen Mirren express interest in doing a Poirot or Marple? Maybe Mrs. Hubbard in Orient Express? Ooh, or Marina in The Mirror Crack'd!

Tommy_A_Jones 28 Mar 09 at 12:52 p.m. GMT

I always assumed George Barton was 60 ish and Race a tad younger.

Noah 27 Mar 09 at 5:02 p.m. GMT

I don't think they'd be too young. I always saw George Barton as in his 40s or 50s, not his 70s (which Timothy West is) and I assume Colonel Race should be around the same age to make their friendship believable.

You're right though, Robert Lindsay might be too young.

Tommy_A_Jones 27 Mar 09 at 3:41 p.m. GMT

I love Hipothetical casting too, I haven't read 'A Carribean Mystery but wouldn't Robert Lindsay' be too young and I have read 'Spasrkling Cyanide' and I think Tom Goodman-Hill and Sam West would be too young for Colonel Race and George Barton, Stephen Moore as Race and Timothy West as George Barton would both be better I can't think who should play Lucillia Drake but I don't think Jennifer Saunders would be right, I will give some thought to her and others.

Noah 27 Mar 09 at 2:11 a.m. GMT

I love hypothetical casting. =) For Marple, if they did A Caribbean Mystery and Sparkling Cyanide (which they probably will), these would be my cast lists:

A Caribbean Mystery

Jason Rafiel - Robert Lindsay

C.I. Daventry - Chike Okonkwo

Molly Kendal - Gemma Arterton

Tim Kendal - Dominic Cooper

Dr. Graham - Patrick Malahide

Edward Hillingdon - Mark Umbers

Evelyn Hillingdon - Catherine McCormack

Lucky Dyson - Mireille Enos

Greg Dyson - David Harbour

Esther Walters - Rosalind Halstead

Arthur Jackson - Jonathan Cake

Victoria Johnson - Feema Agyeman

Major Palgrave - Corin Redgrave

Sparkling Cyanide

Colonel Race - Tom Goodman-Hill

George Barton - Samuel West

Rosemary Barton - Joanna Christie

Iris Marle - Perdita Weeks

Sandra Farraday - Lena Headey

Stephen Farraday - Noah Huntley

Ruth Lessing - Rebecca Hall

Anthony Brown - Mark Wells

Lucilla Drake - Jennifer Saunders

Victor Drake - Oliver Coleman

Give me some time, I'll come up with some more. =)

RobinHerne 25 Mar 09 at 10:45 p.m. GMT

I'm sure John Barrowman can act a serious part without needing to be camparama all the time! The situation with the butler would be difficult, though a similar plot device was used in 'Yellow Iris' without too much trouble.

I thought Sian Phillips would have been good as the Princess Dragomiroff in the Orient Express (except she already appeared in 'Mrs McGinty's Dead', so I guess she couldn't resurface as another character so quickly.

Simon Callow is an excellent actor, but I don't see him as a matinee idol. I'm sure there'd be a part from him in another novel. Or as the psychiatrist Dr Strange.

Robin

Katherine 25 Mar 09 at 6:28 p.m. GMT

Oof! I hope John Barrowman doesn't get anywhere near either Poirot or Marple. I think he's a dreadful actor! He might just about pass in a Marple, but no way should he be in "Three Act Tragedy". "Marple" might be camp, but "Poirot" certainly isn't!

I think someone like Simon Callow would be much better in the part.

Tommy_A_Jones 25 Mar 09 at 3:56 p.m. GMT

I worked out lastnight after 'A Pocketful Of Rye' There are only 3 actual Miss Marples left 'The |Mirror Cracked, 'They Do It With Mirrors' and 'A Carribean Mystery' As they can't really do a series without ast least one true Miss Marple story it can't be long before the series ends for good unless they do the Short stories (which would be an excellent Idea) so Ju;ia McKenzie must be wondering why she took the role.

squatty 25 Mar 09 at 2:41 p.m. GMT

LMAO. John Barrowman would be prefect in that part. Just when you thought the series couldnt get any camper - along comes John.

I'm looking forward to seeing this produced, mainly to see how the production deals with the butler at the Bartholomew Strange dinner party. It was very unsatisfactory in the Peter Ustinov version, although it must be a hard part of the book to film without revealing the solution to the whole mystery too soon

Tommy_A_Jones 24 Mar 09 at 2:53 p.m. GMT

How about Edward Woodward as Jason Raphael and Tom Courtney as Major Pallgrave in 'A Carribean Mystery', Either I can't remember which Poirot's have been done or I haven't read them so can't tell a good idea, I have read 'Murder On The Orient Express' and have already given my Casting Ideas, I am yet to read the Marple stories yet to be done by ITV. Great Topic by the way