BWW Reviews: Stray Dog Theatre's Excellent Production of AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

Dame Agatha Christie is considered to be one of the most successful authors of all time, with her mystery novels and short stories selling literally millions of copies. In fact, her work has been produced on stage, in films, and on television. Additionally, a lot of the basic ideas and plots have been utilized in countless mediums. But, despite this proliferation, they still remain clever and entertaining in their own right. Stray Dog Theatre's current production of And Then There Were None is a prime example, combining a great cast, stylish appointments, and solid direction to provide audiences with a terrific experience that's well worth seeing, even if you've been exposed to this, or similar works, before.

The plot is simple, but deceptive: ten individuals who each have a secret in their past are invited to spend time at a house on Soldier Island off the coast of Devon, England. Their host never appears, but instead accuses each of them of various murders via a gramophone recording that is played. They are themselves murdered one by one, with their deaths playing out according to the nursery rhyme "Ten Little Soldiers". Any more information I could give you would only spoil the fun of trying to solve the crimes that occur as you view the action.

The cast is solid from top to bottom, with another fine performance from Sarajane Alverson as Vera Claythorne, a secretary hired by our anonymous host, leading the way. Jeff Kargus brings a sort of Clark Gable-ish bravado to his role as adventurer Philip Lombard, and Zachary Stefaniak quickly takes charge of the situation as Sir Lawrence John Wargrave. Michael Juncal adds humor to the proceedings as Detective William Henry Blore, while Judy Yordon brings a touch of stuffiness as the pious Emily Caroline Brent. David Gibbs is good as General MacKenzie, and Mark Abels makes for a credible Dr. Edward George Armstrong. Ryan Wiechmann brings plenty of attitude to his role as the petulant Anthony Marston, and Rob Lippert appears briefly as Fred Narracott. Jason Meyers and Lindsay Gingrich neatly round out the cast as Thomas and Ethel Rogers, a couple who are engaged as butler and cook for the occasion.

Gary Bell's direction is very well done, and he keeps the pace moving briskly for this three act piece. Rob Lippert's scenic design is simply gorgeous, and Eileen Engel's costumes fit the characters perfectly. Tyler Duenow's lighting is on point as always, while Justin Been's sound design adds just the right atmosphere for this tense story.

Part of the delight in seeing this show is watching the audience members try and figure out who the killer is, and seeing them perplexed as their choices get knocked off along the way. If you're a fan of mysteries and finely honed theatre then you need to see Stray Dog Theatre's excellent production of And Then There Were None. It continues through October 25, 2014 at the Tower Grove Abbey.

Photo credit: John Lamb