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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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Counting by corpses
And Then There Were None
The Grange Players
Grange Playhouse, Walsall
**** NO matter how many times you see this classic
Agatha Christie multi-murder thriller it never fails to entertain,
whether performed on the professional stage or, as here, by a quality
amateur company. Yes, it’s tongue-in-cheek at times – chuckles
break out in the audience after one killing – but the play is so
cleverly constructed the identity of the culprit remains in doubt until
the final scene. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the
Queen of Crime’s birth, and the Grange Players are paying an impressive
tribute with this excellent production. It is well acted by a strong cast, helped by the
fact that they are performing on a particularly good set, representing
the living room of a mansion overlooking the sea on the remote Soldier
Island, off the coast of Devon. The set was designed by Tony Groves and the
play’s director, Rachel Waters, and constructed by Matthew Garratt, John
Hine, Robert Onions and Chris Waters, and includes a balcony overlooking
the blue sea and sky with realistic white clouds . . . plus a large
fireplace with mantelpiece on which stand ten toy soldiers. Above them is a large copy of the children’s
nursery rhyme, Ten Little Soldier Boys, ending ‘and then there were
none’ and when eight mysteriously invited strangers arrive at the home,
plus two servants, the scene is set for A recorded voice accuses all ten of having guilty
secrets, and there is a convincing performance from Andy Jones as one of
the guests, Sir Lawrence Wargrave, who happens to be a judge and tries
to get to the bottom of the mysterious threat.
As the story unfolds the finger of suspicion
points to virtually everyone in the group, even ‘respectable’ Dr
Armstrong (Christopher Waters), but surely not elderly Emily Brent,
played with remarkable confidence by Mary Whitehouse who took on the
role only a fortnight before opening night. She is knitting almost
non-stop during the action, and should have a nice scarf by the time the
run ends! Suzy Donnelly adds a touch of glamour to
proceedings as Vera Claythorne who catches the eye of gun-toting army
officer Captain Philip Lombard played with a convincing military style
by the always smartly dressed Adam Woodward. Having said that, all six male guests are
impeccably turned out in their tuxedos in the scene when they are
dressed for dinner. Remarkably Agatha Christie doesn’t seem to create
too much anxiety at first among the group in her most popular
best-selling thriller as murder follows murder in a variety of ways, but
the audience are probably too involved trying to decide who the killer
could be to worry about that. The confident cast is completed by David Stone
(General Mackenzie), Aarron Armstrong-Craddock (Anthony Marston), Robert
Onions (William Blore), Les Wilkes and Jill Simkin (the servants, Mr and
Mrs Rogers) and Martin Groves (Fred Narracott). A powerful thunderstorm is particularly well
staged, with lightning flashing across the sea, and it was good to spot
that when two of the ‘guests’ rush indoors from the balcony, their coats
are clearly soaking wet. The classic play, produced by Christopher Waters
and Grant Thomson, runs to 23.05.15 Paul Marston
14-05-15 |
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murders, with the soldiers disappearing, one by one in time with sudden
death.