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And Then There Were None

by Agatha Christie

Directed by Neil Kennedy

Season: 29th February - 18th April 1992

Ten people, from various walks of life, are lured to a mansion on an island off the coast of Devon. Their pleasure with their surroundings turns to dread as their secrets are mysteriously revealed and horror overtakes them one, by one... by one... by one...

And Then There Were None began life as a novel in 1939. The New Statesman critic wrote: "She stands hors concours, in a class of her own... The book must rank with Mrs Christie's previous best - on the top notch of detection."

Displeased with the way others had dtramatized three of her novels, Agatha Christie decided to adapt this novel for the stage herself. Although this was her first stage adaptation she had written two original plays, only one of which Black Coffee the Poirot murder mystery, had been produced.

The nursery rhyme which inspired And Then There Were None necessitated a great deal of planning and Agatha Christie was pleased with the final work. For the stage adaptation she had to make one modification to the original story.

The play's debut in London in 1943 elicited this response fro W.A. Darlington of the Daily Telegraph: "She must somehow contrive to keep you and me guessing... Well, she succeeds". The three films made of And Then There Were None were based on the play, not the novel.

The novel's original title, Ten Little Niggers, did not offend anyone in Great Britain in 1939. In the United States, however, the term 'nigger' had been considered offensive since before the Civil War. Thus American reprints were titled Ten Little Indians, but this title is inapt since it refers to a children's counting song which is unrelated to the plot. And Then There Were None is a universally suitable title.

Cast: Marc Kay, Garin Clarke, Margot Smithyman, Diane Kennedy, John Andrews, Gerard Maree, Allan Long, George Duncan, Del Dines, Dan O'Sullivan, Paul Olislagers