Actors’ NET of Bucks County presents Agatha Christie’s murder-mystery classic.
By: Stuart Duncan
Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None has always been a big favorite; first as a novel in 1934, later as a play in both England and America, and twice as a movie.
The plot hasn’t changed much: eight guests arrive on a lonely, privately owned island off the coast of Devon. There they meet a recently married butler and cook and receive a message from the host telling them he has been delayed and will be there on the morrow. But the guests start turning up dead, one by one, and the tension mounts as the survivors realize they are victims either of a huge practical joke or are at the hands of a madman. The killings seem to be following the dictates of an ancient children’s nursery rhyme. Scholars deem the novel one of the finest mysteries ever written and the play, naturally enough, has huge followings.
The current production, by Actors’ NET of Bucks County at its theater at the Heritage Center in Morrisville, Pa., has a wonderful cast, clearly enjoying itself immensely and delighted to bring the work to you, with all its twists and turns.
The setting, as mentioned, is a house on an island, just off the coast of Devon, accessible only by boat (which also brings provisions). We first meet Rogers, the recently hired butler, and his wife, the cook. The roles are played by a real-life couple, Barry and Brenda Clements. If you spot the cockney accents, know that they are entirely authentic.
Next, in the first boat, is Vera Claythorne, the owner’s private secretary, but she too has been hired only within the last week. Arriving with her is Philip Lombard (Chuck Donnelly), bon-vivant, world traveler and something of a ladies’ man perhaps. And, in the next boat: a good-looking young man, Anthony Marston (John Helmke, who could grab a role in soap operas if the notion appealed to him); an ex-CIA agent and then local constabulary man, William Blore (Joe Doyle); a retired general, MacKensie (James Cordingley); a prim and proper maiden (Virginia Barrie); a retired judge, Sir Lawrence Wargrave (Doug Kline); and finally, a doctor who now treats stress cases, Dr. Armstrong (Patrick McGuire Jr.).
They are indeed a motley lot, each with secrets that we discover as the tension rises, even as the nursery rhyme predicts the demise of each. Christie has her own share of secrets to fool us and, even if you know the ending, you will admire the smoothness of the company as it races to that finale.
The next show at Actors’ NET will be Something’s Afoot, and it should come as no surprise that the production is a spoof of Ms. Christie and all her plot lines, in particular this one. The company will have the terrific advantage of using the same set as its home base.
And Then There Were None continues at the Heritage Center, 635 N. Delmorr Ave., Morrisville, Pa., through Oct. 1. Performances: Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 6 p.m. Tickets cost $15, $13 seniors/children. For information, call (215) 295-3694. On the Web: www.actorsnetbucks.org

