Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None comes to Brighton – a review

And so, when I saw it was coming to Theatre Royal Brighton this week it seemed like the perfect opportunity to put that right.

The week-long run at the Brighton theatre began last night, part of a months-long tour of the show all around the UK.

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In the hands of an assured cast containing theatre pros with hundreds of plays under their collective belts, the tension was created from the get-go.

Ten strangers are lured to a solitary mansion off the coast of Devon. When a terrible storm cuts them off from the mainland, and with their hosts mysteriously absent, the true reason for their presence on the island becomes horribly clear, as secrets from their past come back to haunt each and every one of them.

Book tickets here.

The mystery and intrigue remain high throughout, and when the audience realise what’s happening I felt a literal chill go down my spine.

And as if the tension created by the cast wasn’t enough, one of the props created a sense of drama all of its own.

The bear skin and head rug – front and centre of the stage – seemingly caused an ongoing trip-hazard. There were several heart-in-mouth moments where I wasn’t sure if one of the actors was going to fall over it. It didn’t seem scripted, and there had to be much straightening of the taxidermy when it repeatedly got rucked up.

In what is a tense play anyway, being on the edge of my seat due to an inanimate object was almost too much!

I thought the great part of this production was that no one character outshone the other. Each was given the space to shine, and there were confident performances all round.

As you’d expect from Agatha Christie’s work, this is a masterclass in whodunnits. I can’t believe I hadn’t seen or read it sooner, but I’m so glad that’s been rectified now.

The production runs until Saturday, and there are still some tickets available.