Something is stirring on Soldier Island. Ten strangers receive invites to an isolated guesthouse off the Devon coast, owned by the mysterious Mr and Mrs Owen, but it’s not just the Owens who seem to be holding secrets. Once the guests have convened, they are all accused through a gramophone of murder. One by one, these ten little soldiers meet their ends… As the play has closed, I will spoil away!

Sixth Side Theatre’s production of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None was a triumph of mystery, performance, and downright Halloween fun. Director Josh Brooks, assisted by Darcy Kent, brought together a mesmerising cast, who effectively misled the audience throughout, in only the best way. The misdirections, and gradual disappearances, of the little wooden soldiers left in the room with a haunting poem prophesising their demises, were tightly choreographed, and very close attention was required to spot their remover, and thus the culprit. The Dowrick’s intimate space and limited entrance/exits was used to full effect by the production team, led by Finty Heffron, and allowed for many a tense moment, including where deaths took place off-stage, but lost none of the impact – you could almost feel the chill of the sea air and the crashing of the waves outside.

Director Josh Brooks, assisted by Darcy Kent, brought together a mesmerising cast, who effectively misled the audience throughout

The simplicity of the setting was superbly contrasted by the complexity of the characters. There were so many fantastic performances, and each cast member had their moment to shine with Agatha Christie’s usual and excellent vibrant characterisation. The sweetness and respectability of Mr and Mrs Rogers, played by Ben Oliver and Ellie Kinch, was brilliantly contrasted to the overbearing (and progressively deceitful) South African “Davies!” (later Cockney Blore) played with impressive ease by Jasper Kyriakoundis, and astoundingly blasé self-confessed killer Marston, hilariously portrayed by Oscar Dunfield-Prayero. Indeed, Marston’s death by poisoning was not much mourned by the audience! The Rogers’ met their ends off-stage, overdosed and stabbed in the back, respectively – Mrs Rogers, having disappeared to bed ill early on, was outed as the first victim. Poor Blore was hugged by a large marble bear-clock. Ouch!

Another less than regretful confession of leading another to their death was Alice Barr’s Emily Brent, the Bible-obsessed morality police. Emily’s pert behaviour and impertinent intention in the death of her maid was probably more unsettling than Marston’s unbothered confession. One of the group who garnered more empathy, was Sam Garrett’s Dr. Armstrong, who was drowning in his guilt for killing a patient whilst drunk. Garrett nose-dived from self-assured and empathetic, to broken and regretful, and his demise in the dark water felt both empathetic and extremely lonely.

One of the most powerful performances, was William Bradley’s increasingly more irate and unbalanced General Mackenzie. His physicality and voice were so finely refined to suggest the aged veteran, it only made his eventual pre-death explosive outburst declaring his murderous story more terrifying. Olivia Saunders’ wonderful turn as young secretary Vera Claythorne, and Tom Oakes’ flirty but confident soldier Philip Lombard, gave the remaining two little soldiers an electric final scene, allowing them both to shine before she turned his own gun on him after a fine fainting feint on her part.

One of the most powerful performances, was William Bradley’s increasingly more irate and unbalanced General Mackenzie

Ross Killian’s Judge Wargrave elicited a calm, controlling, and emotionally levelling influence on the little soldiers to help seek out the truth. But in the final moments of villainy – following his faked death and return – he gave the tell-all speech that sunk right into unsettling and sinister. The ultimate conflict between Wargave and Vera, were some of the most uncomfortable moments in the show, and for some very tense minutes I thought she might even escape his clutches. Not so! Her finale was most disturbing, not least because of the gentle rocking of her body on the hangman’s noose.

Sixth Side Theatre have brought another great show to Trevs and I for one am very excited to see what else they are planning for the rest of this theatre season. Trevs theatre is definitely back with a vengeance – certainly a literal one this time round!

Image: Laura Turnbull