|
Ten Little Indians
And Then There Were None
By Agatha Christie
Directed by Michael Halberstam
At Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace
100 Drury Lane
Oakbrook Terrace. IL
Call 630-530-0111, tickets $22 - $44.25
Wednesdays at 1:30 PM
Thursdays at 1:30 & 8 PM
Fridays at 8:30 PM
Saturdays at 5 & 8:30 PM
Sundays at 2:30 & 7 PM
Running time is 2 hours 10 minutes with intermission
Through September 24, 2006
Ten Little Indians unfolds as an entertaining whodunit
With a sprawling set aptly depicting an English country manner on a deserted British island (set design by Brian Bembridge), Ten Little Indians is a terrific light, almost whimsical, mystery written in 1943 by Agatha Christie to get the Brit’s mind off the Blitz and World War II. It still works on today. You only need a director who understands how to mount a mystery on stage and Michael Halberstam sure knows. The other ingredient is a cast of ten outstanding character actors since Christie’s mysteries are always peopled with zany characters. Halbersteam’s talented cast are among the elite of the “A” list of Equity actors. These ingredients gelled nicely to create a wonderful evening of comic mystery. Even if you’ve seen this show before, there is much to enjoy in this brisk, classical remounting.
 |
Ten strangers, with nothing in common, are lured to an island off the British coast by a mysterious U.N. Owen. Once all are assembled, a voice from a gramophone accuses each of hiding a terrible secret. Are these people really murders? When one of the guests turns up dead, the scramble to stay alive begins as all are stranded on the island by a storm without power and telephone.
The poem “Ten Little Indians” is displayed on the mantel above the fire place that features ten small Indian statues. With the murder of each guest (done in a suitable fashion to the crime they’re accused of), one of the statues is found broken near the body. One by one, the guests are killed as they accuse each other while striving to solve the mystery once they realize that the killer is one of them. The tension mount as they eye each other and make divided alliances as a survival mechanism. We have enough clues but Christie is so clever and the staging is so excellently performed that we are on the edge of our seats in anticipation of what will happen next.
Whodunit? Rogers, the butler played by Mark Ulrich?
Mrs. Rogers, the cook played by Franette Liebow?
Fred Narracott, the milk delivery guy played by David Roby?
Could it be one of the gusts?
Vera Claythorne, the secretary played by Carey Cannon?
Philip Lombard, the captain and sarcastic playboy played with dashing charm by Timothy Gregory?
Or is the flamboyant Anthony Marston played by John Sanders?
Could the South African, aka Davis, William Blore, the former police detective played by Craig Spidle be the one?
Or the stuffy, guilt-ridden General MacKenzie played by Joe Van Slyke be the killer?
The moralizing and nasty Emily Brent, played strongly by Deanna Dunagan is possibly the one?
The former judge, the eerie Sir Lawrence Wargave played marvelously by Larry McCauley is another possibility with the shaky Doctor Armstrong played by Don Brearley rounding out the suspect pool.
These strong characters unfold their foibles, fears and follies that contribute to the confusion as the mystery unfolds. We are given enough clues if we listen closely. The clever twists adds to the dramatic power of the play. This excellent work will keep you guessing with some funny moments thrown in as it swiftly engages us as amateur detectives. This is a smart, flawless production that offers fine entertainment. You’ll enjoy the hunt for the killer.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2006
|
