“And Then There Were None” was one of the first books that I read for school and actually enjoyed. The way Agatha Christie writes entraps the reader in her world. She doesn’t baby the audience by dumbing down the plot, which is something I always appreciate. Then Hollywood came along and made a terrible movie adaption. They completely ruined the enthralling ending Christie wrote in which everyone dies; instead they made the characters Lombard and Vera fall in love, live, and get together. The romanticization takes away from what was amazing about the novel in the first place: it being an honest portrayal of humans when faced with a deadly situation.

Which is why it was so unfortunate that the school play followed the movie ending instead of the original book ending. I understand that it is more school-friendly, but in doing so, it disrupts the heart of the story.

Overall, the play was well done, it was easy to see all the hard work that went into the production. I was impressed by the actors who were able to carry an English accent throughout the entirety of the play, though Wargrave was a bit hard to understand. Sam Shanley was amazing as Vera, she was able to capture her subtle emotions and really shone throughout the play. Isaiah Henry was able to capture the sarcasm of my favorite character, Philip Lombard. The the set was very impressive, very detailed but also minimalistic. They had couches and books, and bits and bobbles, but also kept the background a simple black curtain. This created a setting in which the audience could feel closer and more connected to the play. I also really loved how in order to compensate for the simple background setting, the lighting and the sound were connected. For instance, the audience was able to know that it as raining because a flashing light was timed with the sound of thunder.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time whilst at the play and other than the romanticization, I have nothing to complain about.