AND THEN THERE WERE NONE – Theatre Royal Plymouth

______

12 March 2024

______

2**

______

I have mentioned before in my reviews that I have been a fan of the writings of Agatha Christie for over 50 years and the continuing popularity of her works continues to astound me. Various stagings, adaptations and iterations continue to be produced on film, tv, radio and the stage and there looks to be no sign of disinterest in her special brand.

Thus when a new staging of her work comes along it is always something which gathers great interest. When first published in 1939 as a novel, ‘And Then There Were None’ appeared under a different, now unmentionable, title but it was only four years later that Christie was persuaded to write a version of it for the stage. Changes were made, of course, the most drastic was to offer a happy ending. The play has become a staple of the amateur dramatic world, though these days an alternative ending (as per the book) is offered as an option. In 2005 a version by Kevin Elyot was produced in London which was stylish, graphic and more edgy than the original. I have seen the original a number of times and saw the Elyot version which appears to have disappeared without trace. Now this current version is touring the UK;  based on Christie’s play, but with many changes; who is it adapted by? A search through the programme will not reveal the answer.

One of the most successful plots ever written and one of the best-selling books in history, the wonder is, how can it have been made into such a dull piece of theatre.

An interview with director Lucy Bailey says that the creative team wanted to “reinvent it for the 21^st Century”…. well, if to ‘reinvent’ means to remove any sense of tension, style and pace from the play, then they have succeeded. The plodding first half of 75 minutes seems to take an age to get going; sure, there is scene setting needed and so on before characters start to disappear, but it is like wading through mud and when someone eventually drops down dead, it is a blessed relief. There are a few references to the looming of World War II, so we are firmly set in the 1930s – when, incidentally, the use of the words ‘piss up’ to describe a drunken party, are very unlikely to have been heard.

The body count increases in the second half, but the tension is as palpable as an episode of Peppa Pig. By the end, the disappointment in the production is so acute that you want to grab your coat quickly and run.

Lucy Bailey mentions wanting to “tackle the play more filmically”. So there is the use of flashbacks, slow motion acting and….. well, not much else; the director tinkers with both these staging methods, but doesn’t follow them through; the flashbacks are awkward and add nothing and slow motion is brief. It seems like lots of ideas were discussed and only implemented half-heartedly. There appears to be some influence from the 2015, Sarah Phelps TV adaptation; the drunken dancing sequence for instance, which comes out of nowhere in this version and looks like an add-on. The returning of the dead characters all bloodied, might make you feel you are watching a version of ‘The Night of the Living Dead’; Zombies are everywhere!

Christie’s characters are often seen as two-dimensional and stereotypes and the actors have the grapple with little to get their teeth into; there are varying levels of success. David Yelland adds a hefty (and very welcome) dose of gravitas to the proceedings as Judge Wargrave and Bob Barrett a believable, nervy Dr Armstrong.  Joseph Beattie is effective enough as the adventurer Lombard as is Jeffrey Kissoon as the General on the edge. There is a fine line between sending up a genre and overacting and Katy Stephens as Miss Brent and Andrew Lancel as Blore step over the mark – Lancel’s two accents are remarkably similar to each other. And what is the need to change turn the butler and housekeeper from a husband and wife into a lesbian couple? There is no need.

The actors are moved around like chess pieces; it is robotic and slow and flat.

The set design is ok, but the whole lacks any cohesive style; the 2005 version was a vision in Art Deco black, white and cream. The lighting is all over the place and throughout most of the first half the actors are walking in and out of shadows continually. The ‘storm’ that supposedly rages outside is unimpressive; it seems like it’s a light breeze and a bit of drizzle.

The success of the show is the story itself; Agatha Christie knew how to write a good story.

This is a muddled, messy and thoroughly disappointing production with no one claiming the adaptation of the original play and a director whose ideas are executed at half-cock. The real mystery here is how such a good story could be brought to the stage without an ounce of tension, with no thrill and so little pizzazz. Christie deserves so much better.

______

Cast

Bob Barrett – Dr Armstrong

Joseph Beattie – Philip Lombard

Oliver Clayton – Anthony Marston

Jeffrey Kisson – General Mackenzie

Andrew Lancel – William Blore

Nicola May-Taylor – Jane Pinchbeck

Emily Brent – Katy Stephens

Lucy Tregear – Georgina Rogers

Sophie Walter – Vera Claythorne

Matt Weyland – Fred Narracott

David Yelland – Judge Wargrave

______

Creatives

Director – Lucy Bailey

Costume and Set Design – Mike Britton

Lighting Design – Chris Davey

Sound Design and Composer – Elizabeth Purnell

Image – Manuel Harlan