And Then There Were None

For my first visit to The Attfield Theatre, I was welcomed warmly by the front of house staff to this charming old building in the centre of Oswestry.

The plot of And Then There Were None (spoilers ahead), revolves around 10 people invited to an island off the south coast of England by a mysterious host in the 1930’s.  While stranded by bad weather they are reminded of murderous sins they have committed and picked off one by one in the style of the poem “Ten Little Soldiers”.

The beauty of this play is that the set doesn’t need to be complex, however, in saying that the set design was sympathetically dressed to the era and had some great touches such as the drinks cabinet, the bear rug and the striking wording of the poem above the fireplace. I didn’t notice before the opening, but there were also ten little soldiers on the mantelpiece which were expertly dispatched by a cast member, one by one throughout the show, which for the first few, I had no idea when they were moved!

The whole cast in this Youth Production were clear, concise and believable in their roles, showing acting maturity beyond their years on a par with many of the adult productions I have seen.  Stand out performances were shown by Jenna Bell-Tomkinson as Vera Claythorne and Philip Lombard as Lucas Tyldesley who I am sure have a long future in Theatre.

It is clear that Director Debbie Jones treats these Young People as mature performers, asking them to be sympathetic to the emotions of the play as well as coaching them expertly in Stagecraft.  The Lighting and Sound was faultless through the performance, with particular great effect during the stormy weather periods.

Thank you for a really enjoyable evening, and hope to be able to visit for your future productions.

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.