Review: AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, Cambridge Arts Theatre - Tour
Photo credit: Manuel Harlan
And Then There Were None is the latest murder mystery story to hit the stage, with Agatha Christie’s classic story now touring the country and it is not to be missed.
Set off the coast of Devon on an isolated island, ten strangers are bought together by a mysterious host. Everything is not as it seems and one by one, people begin to die and the remaining people are in a race against time to work out who it is before they’re next.
With the setting being a hotel, the set has been designed with a lot of 1920’s–30’s art deco feel to it; very much giving the impression of grandeur. They have used a moving semi-see through curtain that splits the stage in half offering depth to the stage and the chance for actors to be moving around in the background giving some interesting visuals to ponder on.
The cast assembled is stellar and it is very difficult to pick out stand out performers because they all pull the plot together in a slick and smooth way. It feels like everyone delivers throughout the piece; they are all clear and concise with their speech and build up tension using facial expressions and body language.
There are, however, stand out moments from certain cast members. Joseph Beattie’s Philip Lombard has some incredible moments when he flits between antagonist and protagonist, and this is played superbly well by Beattie as you spend the play not knowing whether you can trust him or not and it adds suspense to the character.
Sophie Walter as Vera Claythorne is exceptional throughout but particularly during the emotionally driven scenes with her having to convey some dark moments of her character’s life.
Katy Stephens as Emily Brent and Lucy Tregear as Georgina Rogers both perform admirably as no nonsense characters and bring some wit to the piece.
Lucy Bailey’s direction is exceptional. The storyline is chaotic with lots of characters on stage at any one time and she has managed to ensure that they are performing constantly. Everything looks like it has been thought about and it pays off as it gives another level to this play.
ThIS play is definitely not one to be missed. The classic Agatha Christie story has come to the stage and offers a great night out for audience members.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Emma Rooney
And Then There Were None plays at Cambridge Arts Theatre until 18 November and continues touring until May 2024. Tickets for select touring venues are available here.