ALT stages Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None’
Eight guests arrive on a island, lured by a mysterious stranger. All come from varying backgrounds and professions. These range from a judge and a doctor to a general and a secretary.
The visitors share one thing in common: Each has been complicit in the deaths of others.
The Albuquerque Little Theatre will stage Agathie Christie’s finest novel, “And Then There Were None,” beginning Friday, Jan. 27.
“They all get these invitations, but they’re not sure who’s doing it,” ALT Executive Director Henry Avery said. “Nobody knows who the host is.”
Each request is tailored to the recipient’s personal circumstances. One guest arrives on the island expecting a job offer; another looks forward to a vacation. A framed copy of the nursery rhyme “Ten Little Soldiers” hangs ominously in each room. Similarly, 10 figurines sit on the dining room table. A mysterious voice emanates from the
gramophone describing each visitor, accusing them of committing murder but escaping justice.
A figurine breaks as each guest dies. “There’s a soldier-of-fortune type, there’s a very bigoted Bible-beating woman, there’s a sexy secretary, there’s a spoiled rich playboy and there’s a surgeon,” Avery said. “Each of these has been brought there for a reason. Even they aren’t sure why they’re there until this recording plays, accusing each one of murder.”
After the first recording, the handsome but immoral Marston, who killed two children while driving recklessly, slumps over dead after sipping from a poisoned drink.
Each one in turn is poisoned, stabbed, strangled or shot.
To ensure the story’s impact, the director must choreograph the action so that the audience suspects everyone.
“And Then There Were None” stars Anna Horst, Nick Fleming, Mario Cabrera, Dehron Foster, Tina Andrews, Paul VanZandt, Thane Kenny, Laura Bartolucci, Rick Walter, Zach Keane and Eddie Dethlefs.