“And Then There Were None” by Ravenshead Theatre Group
Ravenshead Village Hall

Written by the Queen of Murder Mysteries, Agatha Christie, this is her most often performed piece of theatre. For those who have not seen this play, read the book or seen the TV adaptations of this piece of work, here’s just a quick resume.

Ten complete strangers arrive on a small, isolated island off the Devon coast. Each has an invitation tailored to his or her personal circumstances, such as an offer of employment or an unexpected late summer holiday. They are met by Thomas and Ethel Rogers, the butler and cook-housekeeper, who state that their hosts, Mr Ulick Norman Owen and his wife Mrs Una Nancy Owen, whom they have not yet met in person, have not arrived, but left instructions.

This randomly assembled group may not be as random as first thought because they all have one thing in common… a secret in their past that seems to have come back to haunt them

One by one the guests meet an untimely exit which coincides with a rhyme about ten little Indians. The guest’s demise also coincide with the models of the ten little Indian figures disappearing, but who is responsible for these deaths? As the suspect list diminishes, truths are revealed, but will the killer be revealed, and who are Mr and Mrs U N Owen?

From the off, this production was different to the others that I had seen as the ghostly, ashen figure of a child, played by James Terry, relates the poem and throughout the play, his ghostly figure appears and removes the indian figures.

James looks the part and took his time entering and exiting the stage, giving an eerie presence, and his make up was brilliant.

Fred Narracott, the boatman who delivered the guests to the island is played by Naomi Joyce. Again another unexpected change, but with some effective make up, completely passable as the boatman.Naomi also doubles as Stage manager.

Sir Lawrence John Wargrave, a retired judge, known as a "hanging judge" for liberally awarding the death penalty in murder cases is played by John Birch.

Vera Elizabeth Claythorne, a cool, efficient, resourceful young woman who is on leave from her position as a sports mistress at a third-rate girls' school. Mandy Buckley puts in a controlled performance and builds up to Vera's climactic exit.

Philip Lombard, a soldier of fortune. Literally down to his last square meal, he comes to the island with a loaded revolver, as suggested by his invitation letter.Rob Hurst is very well cast as Lombard with his jokey outer character, but is that jocular external sheen really hiding a killer?

William Henry Blore,aka Mr Davis, is a former police inspector and now a private investigator. Blore is a really dominant character and Andrew Cook delivers a very confident performance and an exciting watch.

Dr Edward George Armstrong, a Harley Street doctor,is played by Daniel Andrews. With Daniel I particularly noticed the attention to character details. Armstrong is a very nervous character and his constant fiddling with his hands mirrors this nervous trait. It's the little things that make a character believable and the hands ticked the box for me

.

Emily Caroline Brent, an elderly, religiously rigid, socially respectable spinster who accepted the vacation on Soldier Island largely due to financial constraints. Julie Cox was wonderfully bitter in this role, befitting the devout puritan woman that Brent is.

Thomas Rogers, the butler and Ethel Rogers' husband is played by Adam Hague. I've seen Adam in previous productions and in this one nervous energy really works in his favour because Rogers is that sort of character, that once his confident surface sheen is scratched.........well who knows? Adam's confidence as an actor grows every time I see him.

Mrs Ethel Rogers, the cook/housekeeper is played by Sarah Tryner, A very confident performer with a wonderful theatrical scream in her lungs.

General John Gordon Mackenzie, a retired World War I war hero is played with a lovely melancholic feel by Dennis Baggarley. His reminiscing of his late wife Lesley brings a bit of true feeling to the character..

And finally Anthony James Marston, an amoral and irresponsible young man who drives a fast sports car and manages to rub several of the play's characters up the wrong way as soon as he arrives. Another twist here as Marston is played by Catherine Buckley, and that too works really well.

The stage at The Village Hall isn't the biggest area but the set design, by Terry Cox, is well suited to the space and did not look cluttered and seemed quite spacial. Terry was also in charge of the sound which slotted in nicely behind everything that was going on, on stage.

The lighting design by Ian Walton also created just the right atmosphere.

Even though I knew who had dunnit, well once you've seen it a few times...... I still found this production fresh, due to the direction by Terry Cox. It's the little changes to the usual production that catches you off guard, like the ghost child addition and the ending itself. I'm giving nothing away by saying that there are two different endings to the play, but you'll have to go and see which ending is played out in this production.

Time flew by watching this play, which is the sign of an exciting and engaging production, which this one is.

“And Then there Were None” is at Ravenshead Village Hall until Saturday 6 October 2018