A classic crime story has been rebirthed on stage for the loving fans of Agatha Christie and crime fans alike to flood the Theatre Royal in Glasgow to become detectives in this famous whodunit.
Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None follows ten strangers, who are lured to a solitary mansion on Soldier Island, off the coast of Devon. When a storm cuts them off from the mainland, the true reason for their presence on the island becomes terribly clear.
The directing by Lucy Bailey was solid throughout the performance. The staging and breaking up of the set worked a treat when creating visuals and some nice moments like characters appearing subtly in the background for the audience to ponder on – creating a nice suspense. The blocking worked very well with the script, utilising the space and building tension within the movements and the actors. Bailey’s storytelling through the directing was emphasised by the amazing, all consuming set designed by Mike Britton. The set for the Owen’s Manor was visually stunning, giving a very classic, chic look. The chandelier was a great centerpiece with the light adding to the destruction of the story in the second act by falling down, creating a good chaotic visual. Chris Davey’s lighting design and Elizabeth Purnell’s sound design and composition added a lot to the build of play. Creating the atmosphere from start to finish.
Bob Barret had a very gripping performance as Doctor Armstrong. His character arc and emotional journey was excellent and hit its peaks at the perfect moments – executed very well by Barret and his fantastic acting ability.
Joseph Beattie was an excellent character as “Captain” Philip Lombard. His constant jump between protagonist and antagonist was a great story to follow and Beattie was fantastic in this role. He had the audience in the palm of his hand and for the viewers who were still trying to decipher who the murderer was – Lombard was likely the top of everyone’s list. With his high energy and compelling acting created a great watch.
Oliver Clayton played Anthony Marston with a mix of boyish charm, preppyness and naivety. During his performance, he lit up the stage with his energy and stage presence.
Jeffery Kissoon was very endearing as General MacKenzie, his demeanor, vulnerability but also his rugged, authoritative nature created a well balanced and enjoyable character. His vocal skills and acting ability lended so well to the stern role and within the time Kissoon had on stage, the audience were laughing away.
Andrew Lancel as William Blore was a stand out performer. His comedic timing from start to finish was excellent, landing his comedic dialogue without fail each time. The character arc for Blore was very good also. Depicting himself as a helpful PI there to protect and serve the community – before revealing the true nature of his violent persona, leaving the audience questioning his innocence in the play.
Nicola May-Taylor had an unpredictable role for the show. Lancel came out prior to the performance and announced that the performer playing the role of Vera Claythorne – Sophie Walter – wasn’t able to perform in the show. The reasons behind this I couldn’t fully hear, however, we wish Walter all the best in the remaining performances and she gets back and crushes it. May-Taylor valiantly stepped into the role for the show, leading the line as Claythorne. Due to this, May-Taylor carried a script on stage for sight reading so she could carry out her lines, which with one hour notice and no rehearsals whatsoever – is completely understandable and warranted. The performance from May-Taylor was fantastic to say the least. The amount of energy and emotion she drew into the role she had never touched was exceptional and extremely professional. Although some moments may have been hindered for the character of Claythorne due to no rehearsal and not fully being able to engage in the scene due to trying to keep track of the dialogue, this takes nothing away from the incredibly fearless and reluctant performance from May-Taylor. As the show must go on.
Louise McNulty stepped into the role of Jane Pinchbeck in the absence of May-Taylor. McNulty took her opportunity and was excellent from the opening curtain. Her energy, diction and character development for Pinchbeck was great and her chemistry with counterpart Rogers – played by Lucy Tregear – was clear and very good.
Lucy Tregear played Georgina Rogers and for a quote unquote “servant”, gave a very powerful and endearing performance. Her energy was fantastic and her relationship with partner Pinchbeck was one the audience were routing for. Tregear’s emotional arc before her demise was a great journey and Tregear’s acting skill created a very nice story for her character.
Katy Stephens was excellent as Emily Brent. Her snappy, upper class “I’m better than you” attitude gave the character legs to run with. She was a joy anytime she came on stage, as you knew she would have an amazing back and forth with whoever else was in her way. Stephens has great energy and created such a good character.
Matt Weyland was very good and funny as Fred Narracott. His performance at the opening buzzer was a great way for the audience to be walked into the play. His chemistry with the other actors showed and he made a quick but memorable impact.
David Yelland was great as Judge Wargrave. His character development and emotional journey was amazing to watch unfold – keeping audiences in the dark about his true story. Yelland had a great energy throughout the performance and was able to drive the second act with his authoritative and suspicious behaviour.
Overall, the only downfall of the piece was the volume. Theatre Royal is a big theater to fill from the stalls to the balcony and each performer had really good projection, however sometimes it just didn’t feel like enough. Whether head mics would have helped or stage mics front of stage even, but it did become slightly hard to catch every single thing sometimes.
In conclusion, And Then There Were None is a smart, twisting journey through suspicion and deceit that will grasp an audience.
Get your tickets here @ And Then There Were None Tickets | Theatre Royal Glasgow in Glasgow | ATG Tickets
Theatre Scotland 
Leave a comment