And then there were none

UNI EVENTS

“Theatre is a sacred space for actors. You are responsible; you are in the driving-seat” - Gretta Scacchi

When deciding what play to perform in a talent show, the easiest picks could be Shakespeare’s comedy Midsummer Night Dream, Mark Twain’s satire Is he dead? or Samuel Beckett’s tragicomedy Waiting for Godot. Rarely do students choose to perform mysteries on stage because it is not easy to develop suspense with minimum audio-visual effects on stage and characters are required to give exceptional performances to do justice to the theme of the story. But when mysteries are performed well on stage, they are fun to watch.

Recently, in Lahore, Beaconhouse National University Dramatics Society (BeaDS), gave students a chance to perform an adaption of Agatha Christie’s psychological thriller And then there were none.

While the young actors performed on stage, the audience remained hooked; for them it was a treat to watch actors’ queer acts and listen to witty dialogues delivered perfectly on stage.

“And then there were none” also seemed like a good choice as the plot of the novel really gave audience that immersive theatrical experience which kept them engaged throughout the performance. In the novel, a group of people are invited to an island under different pretexts like offers of employment, to enjoy summer break, or to meet old friends. All were involved in someone’s murder, but not tried and punished for their heinous crime. The guests and two servants who are present are “charged” with their respective “crimes” by a gramophone recording after dinner the first night, and informed that they have been brought to the island to pay for their actions. They are the only people on the island, and cannot escape because of the distance from the mainland and bad weather, and gradually all ten are killed under mysterious circumstances.

And, undoubtedly, students were able to play to their strengths. When Jahan Ara, a student at BNU, introduced herself as Vera Claythorne, nobody could recognize her; she was completely into the character. Her character demanded her to look cool and efficient and when she performed the disturbing act of tying a noose around her neck and then kicking the chair, her friends were shocked by her talent. Every act performed by Hafsa Haq as Dr. Jessica Armstrong was well-calculated and her dialogue delivery absolutely matched with the tone and theme of the story. 

Saad Ayub, who made it seem like he was never going to be anything but Justice Wargrave again in his life, delivered crisp, clear vocals throughout his performance. Mahnoor Lashari, who played Mrs. Rogers, Zain Irfan, who played Mr. Anderson, and Sadia Mohsin, who played Julia Marston all proved their mettle.

Performing a thriller and delivering dialogues like “You realize - the man must be a raving maniac!” and “Now then, you swine, any explanation?” with that required amount of seriousness and precision is not an easy task. For all the ones who adore Agatha Christie, performance of her famous novel by a group of bright undergraduates must have been a pleasurable experience.