Ten Little Soldier Boys are whittled down to none in The Woolton Drama Group’s production of Agatha Christie’s thriller, And Then There Were None. Ten strangers are invited to the mysterious and isolated Soldier Island. Each is accused of a crime, and each has no guarantee of surviving the stay.
As ever with Christie, it’s a tense and exciting premise. And this production begins promisingly with an ominous reading of the poem which frames the play: ‘Ten Little Soldier Boys’. John Ovington’s delivery dripped with suspense; setting the ground for the twists and turns to come.
Sadly, however, this proved to be one of the performance’s high points. As, while the production was entertaining and the script of course strong, there was a noticeable lack of urgency throughout. A thriller of this nature needs to suffocate the audience, make respite feel impossible. This performance, whilst certainly delivering thrills and tense moments, did not achieve that goal.
Perhaps this was because directors Carl Latham and Gemma Hurst did not appear to have made any cuts to the script. Overall, the runtime was almost three hours! The 2005 West End production, by comparison, was only 90 minutes. Additionally, Lathan and Hurst should have prioritised ensuring the cast were completely on top of their cues, as there were numerous ‘dead’ moments where we waited for someone to speak. While a dramatic pause if often an essential beat in a thriller, they must be used sparingly. Speed is of the essence, or else the play’s pacing is disrupted, and the tension killed. A shorter, sharper performance would have taken pressure off the actors, ensured tension was maintained throughout, and consequently kept the audience consistently engaged.
The ensemble cast work well together, imbuing their characters with distinctive personalities and mannerisms. As well as the dramatic thrills, they played the moments of humour and levity nicely, providing a much-needed contrast with the play’s darker elements. James Stephenson’s Blore was a highlight, moving between smarmy flirtation and desperate confrontation very well. Perhaps my favourite moment, however, came from Zoran Blackie’s Mr Rogers, who delivered a powerfully understated scene in the play’s later stages that I shall not give away.
I would have enjoyed more of these stripped back performances. As, while a good old fashioned horror scream will always be essential in a thriller, the cast occasionally verged into melodrama. Of course, humour and whodunnit’s often go hand in hand, but a balance must be found. One too many shrieks risk inspiring a laugh rather than fear.
Projection, unfortunately, was also an issue. My friend and I struggled to consistently hear several members of the cast. This was particularly frustrating as, as well as making the plot harder to follow, it limited my engagement with the performances. For instance, Mark Duffy mostly played Sir Lawrence Wargrave wonderfully, carrying himself with a commanding poise appropriate to his status. When he projected, he owned the stage. When he didn’t, the presence of the character was lost. If I can’t hear you, I can’t invest in you. Sadly, it really is as simple as that.
The Woolton Drama Group’s And Then There Were None has plenty of shocking twists and effective performances; it just lacks the urgency and stakes required for this style of murder mystery. It was a mostly enjoyable performance I’m glad to have seen, but not one that will stick in the memory as a great whodunnit should.
And Then There Were None is running at the Hope Street Theatre, Liverpool until the 18th of July 2026.
Reviewer: Ben Pearson
Reviewed: 16th July 2026
North West End UK Rating: