BBC Green Lights Agatha Christie Classic

An Agatha Christie classic, The Witness For The Prosecution, is to be adapted for BBC One.

The two-part drama shares the title of Christie's 1925 short story. Set in 1920s London, a brutal murder has taken place in a townhouse in London. The victim? Wealthy Emily French. All the evidence leads to Leonard Vole, a young chancer to whom the heiress left her fortune and who ruthlessly took her life. Or so is the story that Emily's housekeeper Janet Mackenzie stands by in court. Leonard, however, is adamant that his partner, chorus girl Romaine, can prove his innocence.

The adaption of The Witness For The Prosecution will be by Sarah Phelps, and directed by Julian Jarrold. It will be co-produced by Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Productions.

Sarah Phelps said: "With the long terrible shadow of the Great War falling across the rackety, feral 1920s, The Witness For The Prosecution is a compelling story of deceit, desire, murder, money and morality, innocence and guilt, heartbreak and – most painful and dangerous of all – love. At the centre of this dark and tangled net is the astonishing character of Romaine, a noir heroine for all our times."

Hilary Strong, CEO, Agatha Christie Limited and Executive Producer, added: "With And Then There Were None, we reminded viewers just how brilliant Agatha Christie's plotting is and just how modern her stories could be. We are delighted to be working with Mammoth Screen and Sarah Phelps again to deliver another iconic title for the BBC and our international co-production partners Acorn Media Enterprises and A+E Studios. With The Witness For The Prosecution, Sarah has worked her magic on Christie's timeless story. Combining Sarah's brilliance with the excellent and skilful eye of our director, Julian Jarrold, we expect to deliver a show that will thrill both audiences who have enjoyed Christie's work before and those who are coming to it for the first time."

Karen Thrussell, Executive Producer, Mammoth Screen, commented: "And Then There Were None made a huge impact last year, garnering great reviews and audiences of over 8 million. We're thrilled to be reunited with Sarah Phelps as she takes on another iconic title, an incendiary courtroom drama that will keep you guessing right to the very end. The source material is so strong, and we hope the end result will be every bit as striking as And Then There Were None."

Charlotte Moore, Acting Director of BBC Television, said: "Sarah Phelps' brilliantly original take on Witness For The Prosecution continues our very special relationship with Agatha Christie on BBC One."

The Witness for the Prosecution is a Mammoth Screen/Agatha Christie Productions drama for BBC One, in association with Acorn Media Enterprises/Acorn TV and A+E Studios. The executive producers are James Prichard and Hilary Strong for Agatha Christie Productions, Karen Thrussell and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, Sarah Phelps and Matthew Read for the BBC.

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre

(JP)