OBSERVER: And Then There Were None
A masterpiece of the murder mystery genre, there is a wonderful production of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None playing at the Comedy Theatre until March 23.
Ten strangers are invited to a solitary mansion on an island off the English coast. Trapped there by a storm one of them suddenly dies from poisoning. The rest realise that they have a murderer among them and that dark secrets from their pasts are the reason for their being on the island.
Based on her best-selling crime novel And Then There Were None, the play was written by Christie herself. However, unlike her original script, which changed the play’s ending to one less grim than that of the book, this production has adapted an ending faithful to the book’s nihilism.
The script is a tightly structured work which, after a relatively slow start in setting the scene, then swiftly and efficiently moves between scenes as, one-by-one, the characters die from unnatural causes. Its language faithfully captures the class structure of British society and the various social milieu the characters inhabit.
Those characters, all eleven of them, are brought vividly to life by wonderful performances from the cast in what is a marvellous example of ensemble acting.
In less experienced or talented hands the characters could all-too-easily have been stereotyped. However, this cast, to a person, brings subtlety and finesse to their portrayals of the dramatis personae.
Bringing forth performances of this quality is no mean feat and speaks volumes of the skill and talent of the director, Robyn Nevin. A doyen of Australian theatre, her consummate direction has given Melbourne a superb entertainment.
Christie was, of course, a masterful storyteller and And Then There Were None is certainly one of her best tales. While certainly of its time in terms of its setting, it nevertheless is a classic which provides for an evening that engrosses and thrills in equal measure.
Venue: Comedy Theatre, 240 Exhibition St, Melbourne
Dates and times: Until March 23 with matinees and evening performances at various times Tues.-Sun. Duration: 2 hours 35 minutes
Review by Peter Murphy

