Julia McKenzie’s role in The Casual Vacancy is a world away from Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple

Julia McKenzie’s change of pace.

She was known to millions as Agatha Christie’s Marple, taking over the role from the sadly recently-deceased Geraldine McEwan.

But Julia McKenzie’s latest role, Shirley Mollison in The Casual Vacancy, is a world away from the kindly sleuth.

“She’s violently different, so this has been wonderful fun for me,” insists Julia.

“You can see through this woman in a second a great social climber, the front, the face, the outfits she thinks it gives the village tone.

“She’s the mother-in-law from hell. Everybody in the village seems to want to be the leading player, but she certainly is.

“Her husband of course is wonderful, avuncular Howard, and everybody thinks ‘good old Howard’, but they are Machiavellian really.”

The three-part BBC1 mini-series which starts this week is an adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s first post-Potter book and the first for adults.

It was a global bestseller, with fans hooked on its take on life in the English village of Pagford, seemingly sleepy but really a tangled hotbed of complex relationships and jealousies.

Michael Gambon plays Howard with Keeley Hawes as Shirley’s daughter-in-law Samantha.

Their relationship is riven with bitterness, jealousy and barbs. But Julia says that, much like her real-life jovial relationship with old pal Gambon, fun was actually right at the heart of their working days.

“We laughed so much we had to get that out of our systems,” adds Julia. “That anyone would have the nerve to say some of the things Shirley says to Samantha!

“It’s very good comedy writing, but you also have to put it into context with the character, otherwise you’d be firing off one-liners here and there. You’ve got to be within the scene and aware of who you’re talking to. They’re wonderful characters, we were very grateful for them.”

The Casual Vacancy is on BBC1, Sunday, 9pm.