Review: And Then There Were None

“How wizard!”

Bread Theatre and Film brings Agatha Christie to the ADC, and what a show! And Then There Were None is showing Tuesday 27th to Saturday 31st and boasts a chilling thrill for diehard fans of murder mysteries and the inexperienced alike. Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None sees ten strangers invited to a secluded island retreat. When a cryptic recording accuses them of abominable crimes it becomes clear that this is no holiday- it is a reckoning. As they begin to drop like flies, atrophic paranoia takes hold as everybody could be guilty and nobody is absolved.

Director Aditi Rai Sia Mai Ann does commendable work with the source material—she manages the feat of keeping a frenetic energy that builds as the claustrophobia sets in and the paranoia follows. Once the tension snaps, the play gallops along at a pace of knots towards its grim conclusion. There is a slight loss of momentum towards the interval but the generative force of the thriller more than renews and comes firing in for the phenomenal final act.

Image credit: Angelynn Zhang

“All rich folks is strange.”

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Delightful period costuming by Sophie Daily-Hunt and Holly Atherton makes for a classy, streamlined production borrowing all the glamour and gloss of a 1930s dinner party, and the furs and pearls entailed, as the intrigue plays out. The limited, unchanging set cages its performers as the claustrophobia builds. This staging aids a crackling electric tension, and credit must go to the phenomenally atmospheric work on lighting and sound (Heenal Shah and Rich Mandal, respectively). The use of static recording makes for instant goosebumps and an experience that is truly spooky, and the use of the titular nursery rhyme as a sort of overture will make your blood cold when it recurs by the end of the performance.

Image credit: Angelynn Zhang

Despite the psychological horror playing out onstage, the energy of the performance as felt by the audience fizzes—I’ve never seen the ADC so full. The interactive element of tallying guesses at whodunnit as the intrigue generates and the suspects are thinned is a nice touch. Christie said And Then There Were None was the trickiest of her murder mysteries to write; it certainly poses a challenge for the audience trying to pin the blame.

It’s a strong performance all round. Depicting a group that cannibalises itself via paranoia is a difficult task, but is managed with aplomb. Sunaya Mueller commands the stage as leading lady Vera Crawthorne, with wit and tenacity. She has an entertaining report with Conor Hilliard‘s Captain Lombard, and a really excellent blood-curdling scream. Samira Tahlil brings all the magnetism of the law to Justice Wargrave, whilst Valentina Schütze Sanchez plays prudish older woman Emily Brent very convincingly. Sam Whitby’s entitled Anthony Marsden is perfectly over the top. As an ensemble, the cast of And Then There Were None is terrific. I wish I could commend the performance of the villain but to do so would give it away—suffice to say they are truly chilling.

“It was the voice, the awful voice, like a judgement!”

Image credit: Angelynn Zhang

Bread Theatre and Film makes the decision to update the production, and crucially the content of the nursery rhyme as not to include racial slurs, given the original play was published in 1939 and therefore reflects contemporary prejudices. The show team qualifies this decision:

“Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None uses the nursery rhyme “Ten Little Soldier Boys” as a plot device, a rhyme that historically contained deeply offensive language. Earlier versions of the text used terminology that was racist and dehumanising, particularly towards Black and Indigenous American people, reflecting broader patterns of systemic violence and exclusion. While these terms have since been removed from the script, it is essential to acknowledge this history and the ongoing injustices faced by marginalised communities.

This production does not ignore that past but instead seeks to engage critically with the story’s themes, particularly its exploration of justice: how it is served, questioned, and manipulated. These questions remain as relevant today as ever.

We believe this is a story worth telling through a fresh, thoughtful lens. With two of the three lead actors being BME and a firm commitment to meaningful representation across production and technical roles, we aim to champion BME voices both on and off stage. At its core, this is a story of ten deeply flawed individuals wrestling with guilt and justice. We seek to engage with its enduring moral complexities in a way that is both responsible and thought-provoking”.

Image credit: Angelynn Zhang

And Then There Were None is a remarkable exercise in delving into guilt and long-held secrets. Director Aditi Rai Sia Mei Ann commends Christie’s “unflinching exploration of humanity, sin and punishment”. After the action plays out, we are left to simmer: Is guilt ever subjective? How long can we ever defer judgement? Who took the shower curtain? As for me, I couldn’t guess whodunnit… maybe you can!

4.5/5

And Then There Were None promises a thrill and goes out with a bang— showing in the ADC at 7:45 from Tuesday 27th to Saturday 31st, make sure to catch its final night. Grab your tickets here!

This production is suitable for ages 12 and over. This production underscores themes of violence and psychological horror, which some viewers may find distressing. Parental discretion is advised for under 16 audiences. For more information, please consult the full content warnings or reach out to the ADC theatre. 

Featured Image Credits: Angelynn Zhang