REVIEW: Marple Greenshaw's Folly (S6.E2)

ITV

Greenshaw's Folly was first broadcast on 23rd June 2013 and was adapted by Tim Whitnall and directed by Sarah Harding.

Story 

Miss Marple helps out her young friend Louisa Oxley and her son Archie when they are in need of a home and protection, so the sleuth takes them to stay at Greenshaw's Folly, the ancestral home of the Greenshaw family. Louisa meets the last remaining Greenshaw, Katheine, an eccentric botanist who agrees to take Louisa on a her secretary. However, after their arrival, strange events occur ending in the brutal murder of the lady of the house.

This adaption is based on two short stories: Greenshaw's Folly and The Thumb Mark of St Peter, both Miss Marple stories. Tim Whitnall cleverly combines them into an hour and a half film by padding out the story. Firstly, he adds some more characters, like Father Brophy, Cecily Beauclerk and Walter Craken to create a wider range of suspects, he also removes the character of Marple's nephew Raymond West. He also removes the whole will scenario and makes Horace Bindler a murder victim to add more excitement. The way the story The Thumb Mark of St Peter is added is very clever indeed. (SPOILERS WILL PROCEED) Miss Greenshaw poisoned with atropine as is the main character in St Peter, and she calls St Faith's Orphanage to tell Miss Marple to get her pilocarpine, the antidote, but she speaks to Grace Ritchie, who thinks she said "A mound of cod, or a pile of carp, or a heap of haddock.". A well written and entertaining script.




Direction, location, soundtrack

Sarah Harding's direction is very dark and moody and fits the rambling estate of Greenshaw's Folly well. The whole ghost aspect is cleverly directed and the murder of Miss Greenshaw is skillfully directed, as it's probably one of the most difficult things to achieve, to make someone look like someone else on screen, especially with famous actresses playing the parts. But Harding's direction manages, I think, to deceive the audience. The main location used for Greenshaw's Folly is Knebworth House, in Hertfordshire.

Cast and characters 

Julia McKenzie really shines as Miss Marple in the denouement scene, as she gets to be the centre of attention here. Also, her scenes with Archie are brilliant, Miss Marple is very good with children. The cast are just superb: Fiona Shaw really gives us a great performance as the barmy botanist Katherine Greenshaw, Kimberly Nixon shows us a kind and loving mother as Louisa Oxley, Joanna David is good as Grace Ritchie, but is barley in any scenes at all, which is a shame. John Gordon Sinclair is great as the latest inspector, DI Welch and the young actor Bobby Smalldridge is adorable as Archie Oxley. I imagine that in 10 years time he will become a household name.

My review of Endless Night will be up soon, followed by a review of the future of Marple.