A visualisation of paranoia: And Then There Were None returns to the stage

Nuance is the essence of any story, which cannot be delivered solely through dialogue and body language. To keep a large live audience engaged, build the mood of the plot, and ensure that the audience is following the story, stage plays use lighting as a weapon. 

When audiences entered the Mahila Samity to watch Agatha Christie's  'And Then There Were None', they were met with a deep blue light and the sound of crashing waves, immersing them in the setting right away. 

Throughout the play, the lighting tells its own story. When the character Anthony Marston dies, the stage is bathed in a shock of blue, expressing the horror of the other characters seeing someone die right before their eyes. 

Open Space Theatre returned to the stage with the crowd-favourite play on 27 August. Translated to Bangla, the  classic  thriller drew a packed theatre that evening. 

The story of 'And Then There Were None' revolves around seven guests, a secretary, and two staff members who are invited to a private island. However, after everyone's arrival, a record plays in the room, accusing everyone in the vicinity of committing murder. 

What follows in the play is the perfect concoction of paranoia, deceit, and murder.

The stage presents a glimpse of the grand house in which the characters are gathered. It consisted of a fireplace, above which hung the famous dolls that symbolise each of the characters. The dolls disappeared when the corresponding cast member died. 

It also had a quaint bar and an arrangement of sofas and furniture. Even if the actors were confined to one defined space, the layout of the stage gave purpose to each corner, which contributed to the progression of the story. 

A special aspect of the storyline is the anxiety and suspicion each character suffers from, which turns them against one another. As the anxiety rises, the lights switch to a red that gradually gets darker.

Photo: Saqlain Rizvi

Adding to the anxiety-ridden mood are the subtle yet perfect stage directions. 

From the moment the recording makes the accusations, all the characters point their finger at one another. After each accusation, all the actors look in the direction of the accused, slowly inching towards them in their own way. From a top view, it almost looks like a hunter approaching their prey, encircling them. 

All the actors pulled off a phenomenal performance, giving life to each character with expressive body language and voice. However, I felt the performance of Syeda Taslima Hossain Nodi, who played the character Vera Claythorne, was exceptional. 

Vera's character demands versatility from an actor as she changes from a confident and witty woman, to someone shattered by grief. Her reaction to each death had to be loud and expressive to show how her character was changing. 

When Nodi sobbed and read the lines from 'Ten Little Indians' as yet another person died, I felt a sense of hopelessness and fear within me too. 

Open Space Theatre followed the original ending of the novel for this play. From set design to acting, they did justice to the play.