And ThenThere Were None
at Wakefield School

Reviewed on April 30, 2016

Raquel Sequeira
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fauquier

Warm, hazy orange light rises from the pitch black on an elegant, old-fashioned sitting room: a huge bear rug hangs on a wall and a conspicuous row of ten bright red toy soldiers line the mantelpiece—the ambience is eerie. The butler enters, straightens the frame above the mantel, then one by one the set of suspicious characters fills the room. And so Wakefield School's performance of Agatha Christie's murderous house party is set in motion.

Agatha Christie's 1943 play "And Then There Were None" is her own adaptation of her book Ten Little Indians. In one of the author's favorite creations, ten seemingly unconnected people are invited to a mysterious house party on an island by an unknown host, only to realize they are being murdered one by one in the pattern of a disturbing nursery rhyme. Tension rises as the survivors begin to suspect each other, trying to solve the mystery before it's too late.

Wakefield's controlled, confident cast crafted the suspense of the show, bringing out the intensity of the dialogue and interactions with full force. Nearly every member of the ensemble cast portrayed a distinctive, exaggerated character, revealing new dimensions of complexity in their relationships. The performers had dynamic, in-character movement on stage, which became increasingly natural and confident as the show progressed. While occasionally some reactions to plot developments seemed reserved, the complete engagement of every actor in their character and in the dialogue throughout every scene contributed hugely to the tension of the performance. And despite some issues with diction, projection in the unconventional playing space was consistently strong.

Eleanor Dunnigan as Vera Claythorne presented the only young woman of the party as externally elegant but deeply tormented. Her expressions especially heightened the tension of every scene, such as the anguish of her face and her sudden movement when a loudspeaker boomed the gruesome crimes of every guest. Christopher Wagner as policeman William Blore depicted a complete shift in attitude and even dropped his accent when his character was revealed to be using a false identity; and Byron Bushara as Captain Philip Lombard emphatically portrayed the charming and excessive personality of a roguish English gentleman, overconfident and morally ambiguous. Alexander Mischel as Sir Lawrence Wargrave not only crafted a deeply captivating character with a skillful performance, especially in leaning on a prop cane throughout with perfect consistency, but carried the show to its climax with a startling plot twist.

A blackbox-style set with seating close up to the stage immersed the audience in the suspense. The period style of the set was matched by elegant costumes and makeup, contributing to the vintage tone and characterizations. Simple but inventive lighting and sound, such as a dark purple tint at the back of the stage and flashes of lightning and thunder, suggested changing weather and the passage of time. At one point, as the group of surviving characters gathered together to wait out the night, on-stage candles and even a lighter were mirrored precisely by dimming and rising of the lights, adding to the realism of the scene. And throughout the show, an efficient stage crew controlled transitions with speed and near silence, so that the audience remained in eerie, unbroken darkness between scenes.

Tension coursed through the enthralled audience throughout Wakefield School's eerie and impressive production of Agatha Christie's classic thriller. All held their breaths as the ten little soldiers on the mantelpiece disappeared one by one. A scream, a crash, a shot—and then there were none.

Ian Welfley
South County High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fauquier

With ambiguous characters, pulse pounding suspense, red herrings at every turn, and an iconic twist at the end, there's always something magical to be found within a satisfying Agatha Christie story. Wakefield is able to capture this magic like lightning in a bottle and present it on stage in a compelling fashion with their production of the mystery classic And Then There Were None.

The play originated as a novel written by the "Queen of Mystery" Agatha Christie in the year 1939. After much critical acclaim, Christie seized the opportunity to adapt the novel into a play. Opening at St. James's Theatre in 1943 to substantial popularity, it ran for over 260 performances until the theatre was unfortunately bombed during World War ll in 1944. Despite this, the play was transferred to the Cambridge Theatre where it sustained its previous success. The story follows ten enigmatic individuals with checkered pasts all arriving on an isolated island at once based off the assumption that they will be attending a party in their honor. However, each one of them will come to the revelation that they aren't guests at a party. Rather, they are pigs in a slaughterhouse as each of them begin to die off one by one based off of a nursery rhyme hanging over the fire place.

An actor who shined among the limited cast was Alexander Mischel (Lawrence Wargrave), expertly encapsulating the limitations and physicality of an elderly individual. He retained extensive stage presence throughout the progression of the show with his consistent facial expressions that synced up well with the mood of the scene he was present in. It was during the triumph of his character at the conclusion of the play where he stretched his acting range to new heights, expressing genuine animosity and exhibiting acute psychopathic tendencies that captivated every audience member.

Other cast members who deserve praise are Eleanor Dunnigan as Vera Claythorne and Byron Bushara as Philip Lombard. Dunnigan was constantly invested throughout the show, being one of the only cast members to consistently display believable reactions to each moment of conflict. Bushara lit up the stage, excellently epitomizing the pretentious and flashy components of his character. By maintaining a plausible British accent that never faltered throughout the show, Bushara was able to contribute to the authenticity of the show.

Each individual cast member blended capably together, with their facials helping to add to the ever present mystery. Throughout the progression of the show and as the number of the characters dwindled, there was a distinct indifference and uneasiness that each cast member held towards the others.

The technical aspects of the show had its positives as well as its negatives. The makeup could have better distinguished a character's age, causing the plausibility of the ages to rest squarely on the shoulders of the actor's performance. On the other hand, the light design (constructed by Thomas Kennedy), was awe inspiring, perceptibly differentiating the times of day with its subtle changes.

Wakefield High School efficiently presented the twists, turns, and red herrings that this classic show offers with their own creative and imaginative input, guaranteeing that the show will hold your attention until the very last soldier boy is broken off the mantel.

Samantha Carley
Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School
Submitted for publication to Fauquier Times

Bang! Another falls. Five little Indian boys going in for law; One got in Chancery and then there were four. A judge lies dead in a chair, bullet to his head. His pale body draped in a mock, makeshift judges costume of stolen goods. Those standing around the corpse feign surprise and horror, yet are quick to move him into the study with the other deceased bodies.

Mystery, murder, deceit, and betrayal all flowed rampant across Wakefield School's stage as 10 thespians fell, one by one, in their retelling of the Agatha Christie great, And Then There Were None. Originally written as a novel in 1939, Christie rewrote the tale for the stage in 1943. It follows ten guests stranded on an island, each accused of murder. One after another the guests are killed off according to children's poem, named '10 Little Soldier Boys'.

Wakefield School's stage was intricate, and masterfully made. The audience truly felt like they were in the house with the guests providing extra suspense and intrigue. Since the play takes place over the course of a couple days, the use of lighting to display morning, evening, and all sorts of moods added to the effect. In addition ‘dark scenes' where only candlelight was used, were easy to see and masterfully executed with almost no hitches. Flashes for lightning, and booms for thunders made a storm come to life on stage, though some times the noise drowned out certain lines from the characters. All sound effects went off on time, which is a difficult feat to accomplish. Each death was timely, and precise. None were overly gruesome, but all provided enough tension and anxiousness to keep the story moving.

The plot takes place in Great Britain, and all actors attempted to keep up British accents throughout the show. This worked for some, but for many the accents were wavering, left dictation issues, and gave the illusion of the actor being overly stiff. However, for those that pulled of the voice, the accent was magnificent. Some highlight performances included Vera Claythorne (Eleanor Dunnigan), a plucky secretary accused of letting a child drown under her care. Dunnigan's convincing portrayal of a young girl descending into madness as all around her perish was wonderful. Her accent never wavered, and she showed the poise of a well-seasoned actress. Philip Lombard (Byron Bushara) is an eccentric captain who left his men to die in the African bush. A natural on stage, Bushara captivated the entire audience with his quick wit and saucy mannerisms. Both William Blore (Christopher Wagner), who let an innocent man rot in prison so as to receive a promotion, and Dr. Armstrong (Ethan Rosenfeld), a former drunk who let a patient die on the operating table, added to the chicanery on stage with their believable concern, anger, and fear. Finally the Judge, Sir Lawrence Wargrave (Alexander Mischel), a man with no regrets for the death of which he is accused, deserves praise aplenty. Mischel's excellent characterization of the unexpectedly insane criminal was brilliant. He commanded the stage with ease, grace, and villainous madness.

As Agatha Christie once wrote in the original novel "There was something magical about an island—the mere word suggested fantasy. You lost touch with the world—an island was a world of its own. A world, perhaps, from which you might never return.", and there truly was something magical in the house on an island set upon Wakefield School's stage. Their rendition of this classic crime tale was suspenseful, and exceptionally chilling creating a wonderful mystery for all.

William Moore
St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School
Submitted for publication to Middleburg Eccentric LLC.

Any invitation to a disconnected island, separated from the mainland and help for much of the day, should be regarded with suspicion in any literary sense. Though, perhaps this reviewer should have taken notice of that point when he accepted an invited to Wakefield School Theater's production of "And Then there Were None", a mystery play set on Soldier Island, to see their show. However, unlike the unfortunate victims within the story, this reviewer was treated to an enjoyable performance, and was most certainly not brutally murdered.

This mystery who-done-it tale was originally written by Agatha Christie in the United Kingdom (thus explaining the British nature of the characters) in 1939 under a different title and was performed in the United States under the title of "Ten Little Indians" in 1943. The script has been changed several times over its history, with the variety that the Wakefield players used being the Elyot Version, written in 2005 for the Gielgud Theatre in London.

However, this British mystery certainly holds up over the years, lead on by a company of actors. While this performance is an ensemble piece, giving no direct indication to who the lead is, there was an actor who truly stood out from the ensemble, directing the action and inspiring confidence in his follow actors. This actor, Alexander Mischel, playing Sir Lawrence Wargrave, took to his character well, providing a very believable, level-headed justice, along with all of his other excellent inflections, and physically playing his limp and cane very well.

In addition, much of the rest of the ensemble provided much character and intrigue, particularly during the second act. To name the strongest players, Eleanor Dunnigan's performance of Vera Claythorne and Willem Bonin's performance of Anthony Marston were both particularly inspired. Dunnigan, as she grew more and more scared on stage as more murders occurred, helped raise the tension within the audience, and Bonin actively changed his acting to suit the story of the novel, particularly when his character's true name was revealed. These two were exceptional, and while all of the other players certainly provided their own flare, it was, at times, difficult to understand exactly what was being said on the stage, unfortunately decreasing the value of their performance.

One specific item is of particular note on the technical side of the production, and that was the location of the set. The performance itself took place inside of a gymnasium, which had the interesting effect of making the performance feel more intimate, even more so that would have been in a black box. However, despite the small size, some of the transitions took an exceptionally long time, to the point where the audience grew restless from lack of action.

The small size of the cast, however, led to the creation of a show that felt full of intrigue and conspiracy as even the audience itself could not know who the killer was (provided they didn't know the plot of the story). This is a show to go and see it you want a production that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end, and dumbfounded when the killer reveals themselves to the last survivor.