And Then There Were None

Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None is a well-structured, nicely twisted murder mystery, without a detective. With ten characters stranded on an island, an unknown killer is picking them off one by one.

The set, built by Jim Chantry, is a gorgeously constructed traditional box set, with a beautifully painted backdrop, from Celeste Lopez, and lovely attention to detail. Costuming, by Josephine Wayling, is at times excellent, but there are some breaches of etiquette and tradition, with a coloured shirt with a dinner suit and gentlemen wearing hats indoors.

Performers work hard to create genuine tension, and there are some strong and interesting characters, but at times the delivery is stilted, and pace is not always at optimum.

Standout performances include Jackie Oates, lovely as private secretary Vera Claythorne, Catherine Jane, convincing as the conservative Emily Brent and Greg Hopson, having fun with accents as William Blore. Sandhya Krishnan brings quiet authority to Doctor Armstrong, while Chris Harris and Sharon Thomas display nice teamwork as Mr and Mrs Thomas.

Solid theatrical debuts from Sean Traynor and Tarek Jabedo, while Martin Bowen, Tim Riessen and Micky Moroz form a nice trio of suspicion as tension grows.

Robrecht Herfkens makes a very promising Australian directorial debut, and the audible gasps throughout were testament to the fact that the audience was rapt in the story. A great mental challenge for our mystery fans and keen amateur sleuths.

Kimberley Shaw