Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None Sheffield Lyceum Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Jenny Bray
As the title suggest, this show is an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s book of the same name, which is the best selling crime novel of all time (it has sold over 100 million copies since being published in 1939!), with the first stage production version opening in 1943 and the film being made in 1945. This is a brand new theatre adaptation, that was only first shown on 19th September this year.
I had neither read the book nor seen the film prior to attending this show, therefore the plot and outcome were unknown to me so I was constantly guessing who the murderer may be… if you’re like me and don’t know, don’t worry I’m not going to give it away in this review. However, the basic plot is that it is a murder mystery, with 10 strangers all receiving communication from someone they think they know, inviting them to stay at the Owen’s residence at Soldier Island, a modern (for its time, the plot is based in 1939) building on an isolated island situated a mile off the coast of Devon. Seven are from the upper classes, with the remaining three having been hired as secretary, butler and maid to the others while there. There is no way of escaping the island once dropped off as there is no boat there, the only contact is a daily boat in the morning that drops off papers and supplies. There is also no phone line. Each person invited hides a dark past, which is brutally partially revealed to all at the start. Each character then has to explain themselves, which is done before each starts dying off, one by one.
Throughout the show is the theme of a children’s poem ‘Ten little soldier boys’. These are depicted by little white statues on stage which were striking and looked like they were lit up at times, with one breaking or disappearing each time a person dies.
Some of the hidden pasts are depicted by other characters behind a white voile curtain, while the individual explains what happened. This brings those stories to life and worked really well. Overall, I’m not sure that the voile curtain always worked. I’m not sure why the lounge area and dining areas couldn’t have been shown via scene changes and prop changes rather than with the dining area behind the lounge area on stage. However, the voile curtain worked well to show changes between other scenes.
There are only 12 actors throughout the whole show, with those who last the longest therefore playing larger parts as they are almost constantly on stage while the plot unravels before our eyes.
Although it was slightly surreal, I liked the scene in the second half where those that are left are shown as going slightly mad amongst a setting of deep red lighting and with background music. Other than this scene, there was very little music throughout.
I found it slightly odd that the latest person who had died off then had a bright spotlight shone on them and stood up and slowly walked off stage, rather than it going black and them disappearing or someone carrying them off stage, but got used to it as it happened with every character.
I particularly liked Sophie Walter’s depiction of nervy yet very talkative Vera Claythorne. I also liked Lucy Treagar as Georgina Rogers, as she is shown sipping from a hip flask and gradually deteriorating to a drunken mess, while also still trying to serve the elite as she was hired as a butler to serve the others, along with chef Jane Pinchbeck (Nicola May-Taylor).
I recognised Bob Barrett, who was playing Doctor Armstrong, from Holby City, so it was quite familiar for me to see him as a doctor! I also recognised Andrew Lancel, who was William Blore, from The Bill, who was a detective in this, so again a familiar role for me to see him in. He is also listed as having been voted villain of the year for his role in Coronation Street but I wasn’t aware of that until I read the programme. I don’t often recognise the actors in touring shows, even when looking up their credentials in the programme, so I think the familiarity of these characters helped me get absorbed in the plot, although possibly also not suspect their characters quite as much (I’m sure there’s some psychological familiarity reason for that! Credit to the Casting Director, Ellie Collyer-Bristow CDG, for that).
The stage setting stays largely the same throughout, with the lounge taking centre stage for a large part of the first half, with a large lit chandelier hanging in the background, presumably over the dining table as the dining room setting is behind the lounge one. The background is a very arty blue swirl for the sea. The whole setting moves to chaos for the second half, with the large chandelier now having crashed on the floor as everything is being searched through.
The Lyceum theatre is well signposted around the city centre with plenty of parking nearby. Remember to pick up your ticket for the 1st hour free at the Charles Street Q park car park if you park there. The staff are welcoming, both on arrival and throughout the interval and when ushering people out. There are bars, ice cream and a snack shop.
As the book that the plot is based on is the biggest selling crime novel of all time, it is also a film and has been on stage in various iterations since 1943, it’s probably safe to assume that most of the audience knew ‘who dunnit’ from the offset, yet still wanted to see it on stage. That, in itself, speaks volumes of both the following and the popularity of this show.
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £15 to £45.50
And Then There Were None is at Sheffield Lyceum between 7th and 11th November 2023.
For more information or to book tickets visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk or call the Box Office on 0114 249 6000
Sheffield Theatres, 55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 1DA
https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/and-then-there-were-none