TAMZIN OUTHWAITE plays Mrs Pierce in Murder is Easy, an exclusive BritBox Original. She speaks about this major new adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1939 novel of the same name. This two-part thriller is directed by Meenu Gaur (Zinda Bhaag, World on Fire) and stars David Jonsson (Industry, Rye Lane), alongside Morfydd Clark (Lord of the Rings, Saint Maud) and Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey, After Life).
The story is set in England, 1954. On a train to London, retired policeman Fitzwilliam (Jonsson) meets the mysterious Miss Pinkerton (Wilton), who tells him that a killer is on the loose in the sleepy English village of Wychwood under Ashe. The villagers believe the deaths are mere accidents, but Miss Pinkerton knows otherwise – and when she’s later found dead on her way to Scotland Yard, Fitzwilliam feels he must find the killer before they can strike again. Because for a certain kind of person, murder is easy …
Tell us about your character?
Mrs. Pierce is a villager, born and bred. She works as a housekeeper, as a cleaner. She serves food. She basically keeps the whole village running and she works in different areas. So she’s got her eyes and her ears and her fingers in lots of pies. A lot of the audience will definitely be able to identify with Mrs. Pierce. She’s had tragedy in her life. And at the same time, she is a woman of the people.
Her and Mrs. Carter, played by Kathryn Howden, we like to call them a double act. Mrs. Carter is slightly softer and slightly more led by Mrs. Pierce. But Mrs. Pierce is more of a leader, along with Rivers, the chauffeur who’s played by Jon Pointing. They’re the workers. If you’re thinking upstairs, downstairs, they’re definitely downstairs. She doesn’t mince her words, and there’s nothing soft and willowy about her, and she tells it like it is truthfully, and I love that about her.
How are women presented in this adaptation?
I would say the women in this Agatha Christie, set in the 1950s, are definitely ahead of their time. It feels like, at times, it’s quite a feminist piece, or it’s definitely driven by formidable women who are very strong. I think it will be extremely interesting for an audience to see how different it is to now in terms of the class structure, because if you think about in the 50s, women didn’t speak up that much, considering we actually do.
That’s why I think Mrs. Pierce is a bit of a trailblazer. She does push the boundaries because she does stand up for herself and the other people. That’s brave. I think Mrs. Pierce and Mrs. Carter are quite courageous in that way.
Why do you think Agatha Christie still resonates with a modern audience?
The world of Agatha Christie is universal because everyone can fall in love with a whodunnit. What I love most about it is you can all sit down as a family together and watch it, so it will be perfect viewing over Christmas. There’s nothing offensive. I love the fact that I’ll be able to sit down with my children and watch it. That’s really quite an attractive thing. There aren’t many things that we can all watch as a family. I’m excited about that.
Murder mystery
The BritBox limited series is a murder mystery show also starring Tom Riley (The Nevers, Ill Behaviour) as Lord Whitfield, Douglas Henshall (Shetland, In Plain Sight) as Major Horton, Mathew Baynton (Ghosts, Wonka) as Dr Thomas, and Mark Bonnar (World on Fire, Guilt) as Reverend Humbleby.
Who: Tamzin Outhwaite Murder is Easy BritBox 2023
When: From 7 March 2024
Where: BritBox
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