______
6 February 2026
______
4*****
______
I have mentioned before in my reviews that bringing an Agatha Christie play to the stage successfully is far harder than at first it might appear. With ‘And Then There Were None’, it is a real challenge; regarded as one of the best-plotted whodunnit’s ever written, it has sold in excess of 100 million copies since publication in 1939 – the story is very well known. The play, first performed in 1943, had a different ending to the novel, placating those who needed something less bleak during the bleakest of times. In recent years, the Christie family have acceded to many requests to offer an alternative ending to the play, reflecting the original story.
The last production I saw was in 2024, a national professional tour, which was heartily disappointing, the mystery being, at the time, was how the play could be produced in such a dull, tension-lacking manner.
I have seen a number of productions by Exeter University Theatre Company in the last few years and, indeed, penned articles about them, and so it is interesting to see what they would make of this classic mystery. Thankfully, unlike that of 2024, the script hasn’t been messed about with and the production stays very true to Christie. I would be lying if I said there wasn’t some similarities between that which I saw in 2024 and this production; the set design, with billowing translucent curtain across the walkway; the opening montage, which is very effective, and the zombie-like resurrection of the dead characters at the end, are not in the script. That said, borrowing ideas is no sin and they work well here.
The great strength of the production is very much in the acting. Strong characterisations abound and are lead by an absolutely stunning performance from Florence Gunstone as Vera Claythorne; statuesque, elegant and perfectly costumed, she is confident, firey and emotional; this is first-rate work. Benjamin Davis is also excellent as the arrogant, self-centred adventurer Philip Lombard – there is a real chemistry between these two. Dylan Williams gives Rogers a wonderfully flustered, slightly comic side and Amelia Song makes the most of the small role as the slightly hysterical Mrs Rogers. Lottie Paterson is first class as the louche, manspreading, Anthony Marston and Lydia Shaw provides General McKenzie with a depth and sensitivity. The bible-quoting, bitter and puritanical Emily Brent is perfectly pitched by Beth Williams; goodness, you don’t want to mess with her! Thomas Taylor as Dr Armstrong, judges his descent into the depths of a breakdown very well and Aidan Everett brings some much needed comedy to the role of Blore – his change of accent is spot-on. Ted Turner has gravitas and authority as Judge Wargrave and there is a chirpy cameo from Georgia Kendall as Narracott.
There is no attempt to smother the actors in make-up and that is an excellent decision, it is not needed. Costumes are simple but effective – a few white shirts will be in need of a deep clean by the end of the run! Props and furniture are carefully chosen and offer a nod to the period in question.
The lighting was extremely effective overall, with some great pictures created – not least at the very end, though I did wonder why, in the daytime scenes, the outdoors was as black as night.
I do question whether the cast needed to have microphones. In a fairly modern theatre, where the acoustics are reasonably good, they shouldn’t be required and if the voices do need lifting then float mics would more than suffice. Unfortunately for Thomas Taylor, his mic failed in the whole of the first half and Georgia Kendall didn’t appear to have one at all and were only just audible. I am sure that these actors have strong enough voices. Technical issues like this can be avoided.
Director Rudi Carson has patently taken care over the production and been determined to put his stamp on it and he has done this very effectively. The first half of the play is quite wordy but he keeps the story moving along well and, as the bodies mount up, the tension grows palpably until the exhilarating and thrilling climax. There is also great attention to the plot, and the careful planning of the removal of the chess pieces indicates thought and consideration.
This is a really enjoyable production and, though there are a few shortcomings, it is a considerable improvement on the aforementioned 2024 production. Make no mistake this is a complex and tricky play to produce. EUTCO is a really good company to watch and we look forward to supporting them again in the future.
Cast
Vera – Florence Gunstone
Lombard – Benjamin Davis
Wargrave – Ted Turner
Dr Armstrong – Thomas Taylor
Emily Brent – Beth Williams
General MacKenzie – Lydia Shaw
Blore – Aidan Everett
Rogers – Dylan Williams
Mrs Rogers – Amelia Song
Anthony Marston – Lottie Paterson
Fred Narracott – Georgia Kendall
Creatives
Writer – Agatha Christie
Director – Rudi S Carson
Producer – Rebecca Edmunds
Assistant Director – Tanuvi Dev-Kauffmann
Assistant Producers – Sreenisha Kanchiraju & Emily Golding
Stage Manager – Lola Donlan
Costume Designer – Paige Evans
Technical Managers – Adam Purdy
Lighting Designer – Max Reader
Sound Designers – Jay Roe & Oscar Alltree
