And Then There Were None

What a super way to spend a very wet and windy Thursday night!

Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" is a tale of ten strangers who find themselves invited to spend some time on a private island. However, things get complicated when some of them start to die and they realise that the killer is one among them.

We were greeted at The Castle by the society’s chairman, Richard Llewllyn and director, Hannah Johnson, who made us feel welcome and showed us to our seats. The audience were presented with an open set with ethereal lighting and an ominous soundtrack playing. This really set the scene and made us feel like we were in for an interesting evening!

The set looked great with lots of period furniture (with one or two exceptions!). It was clear that a lot of thought had been put in to where everything would fit. I particularly liked the "O" shaped patio doors which Hannah told us was designed to fit in with "And Then There Were NONE". A smashing touch. There were a few problems with sticky doors, and perhaps the set designers might want to re-think the way they had designed the free-standing door frames for future productions to prevent this.

First on set was the hired help - Mr and Mrs Rogers played by Jon Coop and Judith Warren respectively. The pair made a great job of these two characters, being very believable and suitably upstanding while in the presence of guests and not so much when not. Where either of these the culprit? The guests were transported to the island by the aging Naracott played by Mick Mills. Naracott disappeared after his deliveries which made us wonder if it were he who was the villain.

The next guests were Captain Lombard played by Daniel Burrows and Miss Claythorne played by Michaela Clement-Hayes. Both actors proved their worth as always and showed skill and confidence in their roles. I was a little disturbed by Michaela's final scene, which she played with vigour and realism as Michaela always does. However, the pair - despite their romantic advances toward each other - both showed a sinister side to them leaving us all wondering if it was one of them whodunnit?

Mr Marsden came next, brilliantly played by Jack Ebsworth. Jack made the audience fall in love with him with his cheeky, snobbish, cricket playing, speed demon charm but with his dark history, was he the killer? Mr Blore was next to arrive, confusing the audience and story alike with his mis-matched stories. Tom Carter played this role well and I hope to see more of him on stage.

Clare Patrick played Ms Brent who arrived at the manor house next. Clare played this part wonderfully, and if looks could kill; she would have murdered everyone present! (maybe she did?) She really suited the role, and I was really impressed with her portrayal. General Mackenzie played by Tim Allebone arrives and leads everyone to believe he's losing his marbles - maybe he is - or maybe it's an act... He was shortly followed by Alan Galway as Dr Armstrong. I always love Alan's characters. He plays each one with individualism and skill. Dr Armstrong was no exception. Alan led us all to believe he was a respectable doctor with no skeletons in his cupboard - but has he?

Last but by no means least was Judge Wargrave, played by Richard Llewellyn. Rich played the part well and had the audience in the palm of his hand with his detective style workings but with a sinister side to him. Was he the murderer? You'll have to go and find out!

Hannah Johnson made her directorial debut with this play, and although she chose a big one to begin with, she did an outstanding job. She included all the detail needed, including side glances, sinister looks, and subtle deaths in full view of the audience, but usually without their knowledge. She really did a cracking job with the piece, and I can’t wait to see what's next for her - she should be very proud.

Lighting and sound were ably provided by Team Eventex. I particularly enjoyed the candle-lit scene. Costumes were great, but there was a couple of off period styles that crept in. This didn't affect the performance, however. 

The programme was well set out and had some good sections. I can't include the programme in our competition, however, as the correct NODA wording is missing - See here for information about requirements:https://www.noda.org.uk/_assets/ckfinder_library/files/PosterComp/Programme%20and%20Poster%20Criteria%2022-24_30680.pdf

All-in-all, I had a wonderful evening with Wellingborough Technical Players. They are an award-winning society for a reason, and I implore anyone who wants to watch or be a part of great drama to follow this group.

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