REVIEW | And Then There Were None, UK Tour
The Cast of And Then There Were None. Photo credit Manuel HarlanWritten by Hollie
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
This show contains themes of death, grief and guilt. There are references to, and depictions of, murder, manslaughter, and suicide by hanging. Gunshots and brief flashing lights.
And Then There Were None is Agatha Christie’s most popular novel and the bestselling crime novel of all time, so I was really looking forward to seeing how this classic whodunnit could be adapted for the stage and presented in front of a modern audience.
Written in 1939, this tale of isolation, murder and suspicion begins with eight characters being presented with an invitation to the famous Soldier Island by a Mr and Mrs Owen. The guests assemble on the desolate island in Devon via motor car or boat and are greeted by a butler and a cook and not by Mr or Mrs Owen who has been ‘detained’ in London. An interesting choice of words I thought as it provided the audience with intrigue and questions from the very first scene.
It becomes clear that the invitation is not quite what it seems and the guests quickly become confused and disorientated with their presence on the island and the absence of their hosts.
You do not want to be on the guest list at Soldier Island but this is in complete contrast to the audience in the theatre at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal this week. The drama has been particularly popular for a cold and windy January and is close to selling out for all performances throughout the week.
The play predominantly focuses on the dialogue between the different characters and their actions. There was laughter from the audience throughout the show as it is particularly funny and the characters of Mrs Brent played by Katy Stephens and Anthony Marston played by Oliver Clayton, offer some fantastic one liners!
There was a lot of setting the scene during the first act as the audience got to know the characters and their background history. The staging and transient scenery offer a different dynamic and almost provide the audience with a further character to focus on during the show. The pace did slow down before the interval and I was worried that the plot may not be able to maintain the audience’s interest but the second half was really pacy and kept the audience on their toes a bit more!
The guests on Soldier Island are shocked to hear a message directed at them through the gramophone, and they learn things about each other which immediately lead to suspicion and distrust. All of the guests hold positions of power including a judge, doctor and a teacher but I’m not sure I would want to be left on an island with any of them!
Each guest is held under suspicion at different parts of the story as each of them is killed off one by one. As each character is killed off and the deaths emulate the words of a poem hanging up in each of the guest’s rooms, a glass soldier breaks on the centrepiece in the middle of the dining room table.
The parts of Doctor Armstrong, played by Bob Barrett, and Judge Wargrave, played by David Yelland, were played wonderfully well by the prospective actors and their characters’ stories and professions weaved throughout the performance to bring the story together.
As Director, Lucy Bailey has effectively brought this much loved crime novel to the stage and has provided the audience with some modern but subtle adaptations.
Can you predict what happens to each guest on the island beyond reasonable doubt? You will have to be a detective and judge for yourself!
The touring production of And There There Were None continues to tour across the U.K. until April and will stop at theatres including Norwich Theatre Royal, and Bath Theatre Royal before ending its run at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton. Find out all of the information here.
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