And Then There Were None

Congleton Players were back on stage at the Daneside Theatre with their production of Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None’. Directed by Will Vickers, this was traditionally staged. One of the main challenges Will had to consider was to keep the audience intrigued throughout. It is a very wordy play, and the audible response from the audience clearly showed that they were following and invested in the plot, wanting to know who was behind the various killings. On the whole, blocking of the cast was secure. There were some instances where cast had their backs to the audience, particularly in the final scene. This was used for dramatic impact, and it worked, but could cause some blocking issues with the character downstage centre blocking the character upstage centre. Some of the movements of the cast seemed confusing and lacked motivation. The pace of the piece was good throughout, which helped keep the audience guessing until the end. The set was constructed well in keeping with the time period, with patio doors leading outside upstage and two doors stage left and stage right. Most of the furniture used was suitable. The bear rug did not look convincing. Costumes, make up and hair were very good, with each character suitably attired throughout, especially the character of Vera. It was good to see performers of different ages and experiences working together to deliver a production that the audience were very much invested in.

Sound (Tom Maurice) and lighting (Nick Walker) were good throughout. The soundscape created through the production really helped immerse the audience into the production, with the sound of wave present in Act 1 and the distant rumbles of thunder present in Act 2. Lighting was a general wash, with a change from daytime to night-time.

Dan Wood played William Blore. This was an interesting interpretation, with Dan playing up to the comedy of the character, which the audience appreciated. The repetition of the introductions to the other characters was funny.

Peter Clarke played Dr Armstrong. This was a strong, yet understated performance. Peter had a good stage presence, and was able to use his voice well to portray Dr Armstrong.

Matt Butler played Philip Lombard. Matt delivered a good, secure performance. He worked well with the rest of the cast, forming good relationships with them. Matt had a good stage presence and used his voice well throughout.

Claire Morris played Emily Brent. This was a good performance, and Claire was able to show the social class of Emily well, through her use of voice, posture and movement.

Robin Jackson played Sir Lawrence Wargrave. Robin did well portraying this character. He was able to display the authoritative nature of the character, taking control of the conversations. There were times when the audience lost some dialogue due to projection.

Mike Clowes played General Mackenzie. This was a good supporting role, delivered with gravitas. Mike used his voice and posture well to portray the character and his social standing.

Jake McCaddon played Fred Narracott. This was a small role, appearing at the beginning of the play. Jake brought the character to life really well, utilising a good accent. There were occasions where Jake delivered his lines very quickly.

Lewis Robinson played Anthony Marston, bringing a youthful energy to the production. There were times where Lewis distracted from the action of the play, meaning that the audience could have missed key points of the plot. However, the characterisation was good.

Crystal Holford played Mrs Rogers. Crystal did well in this cameo role as the new maid. Crystal used her voice and posture to successfully show the social status of Mrs Rogers.

Miles Cooke played Rogers. This was a good interpretation of the butler. There were a couple of occasions where line delivery missed the mark and got the wrong reaction from the audience, but overall it was a solid performance.

Alice Maddocks impressed as Vera Claythorne. Alice had a good stage presence and held her own on the stage. Your eyes were drawn to Alice whenever she was on stage. It could have been easy to play this over the top, but Alice did well not to do this and was very believable in the role. This was a very accomplished performance.

Overall, this was a good production, full of mystery and intrigue, with some strong performances, a great set, and some good technical aspects.

Thank you to Congleton Players for their kind invite and hospitality. All the best for your upcoming season.

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