Leila starred in Agatha Christie's 'A Murder is Announced' which  toured theatres in 2001 - Leila was accompanied by fellow EastEnder Andrew Lynford who played Simon and by Lynette McMorrough (Glenda of Crossroads fame) who played alongside her as the Fairy Godmother to Leila's Cinderella.

 More twists than the Big One! -  ( Blackpool local paper - January 25th 2001)

In the world of Agatha Christie, where nearly everyone wears tweed and has terribly nice manners, cold- blooded murder is still a very nasty business.

And when A Murder is Announced opened at the Blackpool Grand Theatre this week with the nostalgic "pips" of a Radio broadcast, it wasn't long before the skeletons came tumbling out of the closet and everyone in the village of chipping Cleghorn had a flaw to be revealed.

Ruth Madoc is impressive as everyone's favourite neighbour , Letitia Blacklock, whose surprisingly wooded country cottage is thrown into the spotlight on Friday April 13th after a classified ad in the local paper advertises a murder in the house at 6.30pm. And without a trace of her later ego Gladys Pugh, Ruth took the audience adeptly thorugh more twists and turns than any ride a few miles down the promenade.

Former Eastenders duo Leila Birch and Andrew Lynford are a revelation as Letitia's doting relations proving once again that there is life after soaps ...

Agatha Christie Reviews
 Part 1  : Part 2