And Then There Were None – Grand Opera House York Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Lisa Harris
The best-selling crime novel of all time, Agatha Christie’s And then there were none, tells the story of ten strangers who are lured to a solitary mansion off the coast of Devon. When a storm cuts them off from the mainland, the true reason for their presence on the island becomes horribly clear, and it gets more than a bit deathly!
Brilliantly directed by Lucy Bailey (Witness for the Prosecution, now in its 6th year in London), the full cast of this gripping thriller are Bob Barrett (Holby City, Propeller West End and UK Tour) playing Doctor Armstrong, Joseph Beattie (Hex and Silent Witness) playing Philip Lombard, Oliver Clayton (National Youth Theatre and The Play That Goes Wrong) playing Anthony Marston / Arthur Richmond / Movement Capain, Jeffery Kissoon (National Theatre and Complicite, Allelujah!) playing General MacKenzie, Andrew Lancel (National tours, West End and Coronation Street) playing William Blore, Nicola May-Taylor (Rutherford And Son) playing Jane Pinchbeck / Beatrice Taylor, Louise McNulty (Emmerdale) playing fight captain, Katy Stephens (RSC, Globe and London’s Burning) playing Emily Brent, Lucy Tregear (The Country Wife) Playing Georgina Rogers, Sophie Walter (The Girl On The Train) playing Vera Claythorne, Matt Weyland (Witness For The Prosecution) playing Fred Narracott and David Yelland (Poirot, Foyle’s War and The Crown) as Judge Wargrave.
Fine performances were given by all cast members, of particular note for me were Joseph Beattie as Philip Lombard with a fine blend of character confidence and audacity, Lucy Tregear as Rogers who became appropriately increasingly dishevelled and distressed as the show went on, Emily Brent whose delivery timing was spot on and Sophie Walter for an outstanding performance in her final scenes.
I love an Agatha Christie “Who dun it” and this one has all the hallmarks you would expect. Notice the smaller details, they will make more sense later, notice who is having what conversations and what props are moved around by whom. No spoilers! But expect head scratching as you follow what’s going on trying to work out who is responsible and be prepared for a couple of plot twists you may have learned to expect from the pen of Christie.
The staging and lighting were fantastic, brilliantly directed with great set and costume. The play will take you through the journey of the ten, with back stories for context when appropriate. The energy and emotion were palpable in all the right places without being overly in your face I felt engaged in the characters and their story.
Our seats were comfortable and with plenty leg room, we sat in row L in the stalls which was listed as having a slight side restricted view of the stage although we noticed no significant issue.
The performance is not suitable for children and has a 12 advisory on it due to the nature of some of the scenes. I would advise caution and if you are of a sensitive nature, then (without spoiling any of the scenes for you) I would suggest you read the show advisory warnings on the website.
The audience seemed engaged and laughed at the occasional once liners or ironic comment, there were intakes of breath at pivotal moments and resounding applause at the end.
The programme tells me that And then there were none is arguably Christie’s most parodied work, including a Superman comic book, and an episode of Family guy called ‘And then there were fewer’. Film adaptations have included a mountain top chalet, the Iranian desert, an African Safari, as well as the 1945 film which actually kept to the setting of an island off the English Coast.
In 2015 And then there were none was voted the world’s favourite Christie in a global vote from 100 countries, and it was included in Christie’s own top ten list of her favourite books when writing to a fan in 1972. For me, it doesn’t top The Mousetrap, but it is worth a watch if you enjoy a good whodunit.
The show itself was billed as 2.5 hours including the interval. The show did start late and the interval was longer than expected, although this may have been to deal with the queues at kiosks and bars.
Price & Value
Would I consider the price of the tickets good value for money? My seat was £44 and over all tickets are on sale for £12 – £71. All things considered I would have been comfortable paying around £30 for my seat. My 4/5 review reflects this and some venue issues on the night.
Venue & facilities
The venue itself was not originally intended to be a theatre. The website tells me the buildings that comprise the Grand Opera House York officially opened in 1902 with Little Red Riding Hood starring Florrie Ford. Since then, it has been owned by FJ Butterworth, the Shepherd of Shambles and the India Pru Co. Ltd who spent £4,000,000 restoring the theatre to its former glory in 1987.
For parking, if you buy through ATG you can access a pre-book discount of 15%. I wasn’t aware of this and our evening’s parking cost £12.50 at the nearest available multi story.
I bought two bottles of water at a cost of £5.90, and two small ice cream tubs at the interval which was £9.80. Unfortunately, the ice cream was so well frozen with the outer covered in ice, it took rather a long time for it to defrost enough to be able to eat it which meant I was trying to eat it in the dark during the second half, having queued twice as the seller in the auditorium sold out this was disappointing.
The toilet facilities were minimal yet clean, although one of the three was already blocked before the show. The venue itself was very clean and well maintained. Queue times were rather lengthy in places, which I did hear a number of people comment on as it certainly caused inconvenience, which I believe was due to staffing issues that evening.
Accessibility
The Grand Opera House does not have a lift. Access to the Foyer Bar, Dress Circle and Grand Circle is via stairs only.
There are 10 wheelchair spaces available in Stalls at the end of rows G, H, M, N and R, some of which are transfer to seat only. These will need to be requested at the time of booking. Speak to the access team, prior to booking, if you intend to visit with a motorised mobility wheelchair/scooter.
Rating: 4/5
Price of tickets: £12-£71
Buy tickets here.