A Murder Is Announced

Character breakdown

Miss Marple: Miss Marple is an overly inquisitive, grandmotherly, but shrewd amateur detective. (Age: 60–70)

Miss Letitia Blacklock: Owner of Little Paddocks, Letitia is attractive and she has clearly looked after her figure and features. She has taken in Bunny as well as Julia, Patrick and Phillipa. She is reserved and opinionated. (Age: 50–60)

Inspector Craddock: Craddock is the local police inspector. He is serious and business oriented. (Age: 40-50)

Julia Simmons: Julia is staying with her Aunt Lettie. She is studying pharmacy. Beautiful but difficult. (Age: 35 ish)

Patrick Simmons: Julia’s brother, Patrick is a very handsome young man. A jokester, fights with Julia. (Age: 35 ish)

Dora Bunner: Dora is Lettie’s school chum who has become her companion. Befuddled and laughable. (Age: 50–60)

Mitzi: Miss Blacklock’s cook, Mitzi is dark and Eastern European (e.g. Hungarian, Romanian, Yugoslavian) She is explosive, if not paranoid but is very funny. (Age: 30–40)

Phillipa Haymes: Tall, rather elegant looking, blonde, and classy, Phillipa is a war widow with a young son. (Age: 35 ish)

Edmund Swettenham: A serious young man with pretensions of being a writer, Edmund is dark and foreign looking, though very British. Embarrassed by his mother. He is interested in Phillipa. (Age: 35 ish)

Mrs. Swettenham: Mrs. Swettenham is new to the village, she is very pushy but easily flustered. (Age: 50–60)

Sergeant Mellors: Mellors is Craddock’s assistant. Sometimes not too bright but diligent. (Age: 25–30)

Rudi Scherz: Rudi is a young Swiss national. This role will be doubled with Sergeant Mellors

When it comes to casting the ages are approximate remembering that Julia, Patrick, Philippa and Edward are all roughly the same age. Letitia Blacklock and Dora Bunner are childhood friends so also have to be roughly the same age.