Ten Little Indians

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

In the 1930s Agatha Christie hit upon a formula for her mystery thrillers and stuck with it. The place changes, the name change, but the plot basically remains the same. Mystery lovers in 1939 eagerly awaited the publication of Ten Little Indians. First published in England, the title was changed to And Then There Were None for the American audience. It was surmised the original title would be too offensive for the American audience.

Jan Waterman as Mrs. Rogers and Bill Berry as Rogers star in the Country Dinner Playhouse production of Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians

What sets Country Dinner’s production apart, is the stunning alive cast taking the characters beyond paper doll cutouts to people with heart soul, depth and humor. Although the mystery itself is fun and delicious, it is the cast directed by Bill McHale that makes this production more fun than a bowl of monkeys.

On a luscious set designed by Rob Westan, 10 people have been invited to spend a weekend on Indian Island off the coast of Devon, England by an unknown, mysterious Mr. Owen. In a castle like mansion the 10 are awed by the opulent display of luxury.

Centrally located on center stage sits a display of 10 little Indian dolls with a framed printed copy of the poem. No one knows the Owens. The servants, the Rogers, brought to life by classic performers Bill Berry and Jan Waterman, have only been in the Owens’ employ for one week. They are servants extraordinaire having made the jobs their own. Berry keeps Rogers eloquent, cool and formal while Waterman lets Mrs. Rogers’s frustration over her demands all hang out with fussy bickering. One wants to see Berry cut loose as the master comic he is. His character doesn’t call for it, and he keeps Rogers eloquently contained. Berry shows a different side making one want to see him in a strictly serious role. With Mr. Rogers, however, he has his moments. A simple line like “Oh, my God” turns into a classic.

Randy West as Fred Narracott delivers the milk and cheese every morning by boat from the mainland. Vera Claythorne (Jessica Austgen) arrives first. Even though Vera is Mrs. Owen’s secretary, she has not met her employer either. Austgen plies Vera with nervous neurotic self-importance.

Mark Devine oils his way in as Phillip Lombard. Josh Robinson bops in with on stage high school enthusiasm thrusting his favorite word wizard to describe everything. Thaddeus Valez bounces into the room with red and white suspenders and a gaudy red, white and blue tie introducing himself as a Mr. Davies when he is really William Blore. Hard of hearing with weak eyesight, General MacKenzie disguises Charles Hudson. Dressed in a long-sleeved black dress, Billie McBride marches in as Emily Brent, a dyed in the wool religious fanatic, making sure everyone knows her position. Sir Lawrence Wargrave bullies his way on the scene having been given pompous life and breath by Gary Giem. With a suave controlled demeanor, Marcus Waterman wears the soul of Dr. Armstrong, who has aimed his practice at the study of nerves, which Waterman wears pointedly on Armstrong’s shoulder.

Confusion swirls with the introductions and questions of why and who when a recorded voice spells out each guest has been responsible for a murder. This brings forth denials, justifications and wobbled explanations. One by one the guests turn up murdered. At the same time, the 10 Indian dolls begin to disappear or lie broken. Suspicions, fear, confusion escalate the characters to point fingers while defending themselves, resulting in a merriment collection of over the top confused accusations.

Attention to detail allows the technical aspects to play smoothly and miraculously. The strange murders continue until there are three, and then there are two. With high-powered speed, the actors keep the fast moving pace at a run. Chuckles come quickly and often as egos clash with the desperate attempt to discover who is behind the murders.

For those devoted to guessing who the murderer is, there are two subtle clues. Scholars tend to agree Ten Little Indians is one of the best mystery stories written with its surprising twists and turns. That could be debated, but this particular cast with the intricate direction sends it over the top for Country Dinner.