‘the intrigue is believable and the suspense hinted at’
With Agatha Christie’s most popular novel from 1939 apparently the bestselling crime novel of all time, one would suspect it would be the perfect vehicle for Woolton Drama Group’s first foray into the centre of Liverpool. A quintessentially English affair, all the action takes place in the living room of a house on a remote island off the coast of Devon.
Two servants, Mr Rogers (Zora Blackie) and Mrs Rogers (Victoria Grimbly) and eight strangers – secretary Vera Claythorne (Jenny Snell); adventurer Philip Lombard (Connor Jones); lady-about-town Antonia Marston (Louise Hughes); retired police inspector William Blore (James Stephenson); retired General Mackenzie (Andrew Parsons); earnest Emily Brent (Victoria Turnock); retired judge Sir Lawrence Wargrave (Mark Duffy); and Dr Armstrong (Chrysanthi Fergani) have received invitations to attend a soiree at Soldier Island, arriving in turn courtesy of boatman, Freda Narracott (Daisy-May Jobbins).
When the gramophone plays ‘The Swan Song’ (voiced by John Ovington) accusing each one of a crime that resulted in a murder, it quickly becomes apparent that the mysterious and notably absent hosts, Mr and Mrs U.N. Owen, have plans to ensure that justice is duly served up to the rhyme of ten little soldiers. Christie, as a matter of necessity, had to change the ending when she dramatised her novel in 1943 but that’s not to say that either are the course that directors Carl Latham and Gemma Hurst have chosen to follow: whodunnit indeed!
It’s a slow burner with a ninety-minute opening act serving to introduce and present a backstory for the ten characters which could prove challenging to a modern audience more used to the trend for immediate action and impact, but the intrigue is believable and the suspense hinted at, although the challenge of having a full cast on stage for much of the time did lead to occasional blocking and some staticity in the action.
The set design was strong, with a chaise longue and French doors reflecting the period well. There was a similar attention to detail with the costumes and candle-lit scenes, with the sense of isolation reflected through the sound of crashing waves and windswept storms, overseen by the technical team of Daisy Dodgson and Gareth Farley.
With some impressive use of make-up, the cast captured their characters’ mannerisms, foibles, and unravelling behaviour around and towards each other as one by one our ten reduce in number. With perhaps too much emphasis on the comedic, Christie’s witty one-liners felt a little overplayed at times – almost Carry On-esque – and I would have preferred more to have seen of the darker undertones inherent in the drama. There was a good display of accents to distinguish individual characters and their social status, although the clipped English accent similarly felt a little too much at times.
There were some first night nerves, but not to the detriment of the overall production, with good all-round performances from the cast. Duffy and Turnock stood out as particularly strong, with a special mention for Parsons’ moving speech which was delivered with real emotion.
Woolton Drama Group is a friendly and welcoming community theatre company in South Liverpool who are always on the lookout for new members. Further details https://www.wooltondramagroup.co.uk/
And Then There Were None performs at The Hope Street Theatre through to 18th July with performances at 7.30pm. Further details and booking at And Then There Were None – Ticket Quarter
Review Date: 16th July 2026
Star Rating: THREE