And Then There Were None: Agatha Christie brings murder and suspense from the 1930s to the Players Ring

PORTSMOUTH – Just in time for the spooky season, “And Then There Were None,” written by Agatha Christie and directed by Ben Bagley, will be on stage at the Players Ring from Oct. 23 through Nov. 15.

Ten strangers are summoned to a remote island mansion—each drawn there for reasons that don’t quite add up. None of them knows their elusive host, and yet… it soon becomes clear that someone knows far more about them than they do about each other.

Not long after they arrive, the atmosphere shifts. What begins as unease turns into something sharper, more dangerous. A pattern emerges—one that feels anything but accidental.

Isolated from the mainland, with trust eroding by the hour, the guests are forced into a quiet, mounting realization: the danger isn’t outside the house… it’s already among them.

Christie’s best-selling mystery of all time, is a masterfully constructed thriller packed with shocking twists, mounting suspense, and one of the most famous endings in theatre history.

“I read Christie’s novel “And Then There Were None" several years ago, and it was really one of those ‘whoa’ moments for me,” said Director Ben Bagley. “I found there to be an incredibly modern quality to the storytelling and I almost immediately started visualizing it for the stage. At a glance, the book was a twisty-turny locked room mystery, but the ‘special sauce’ was the direct insight into the psychology of each of the characters.”
 
Bagley said when he read the play version, it didn’t contain the internal thoughts of the characters the way the novel did. 
 
“I saw that as a really exciting challenge: to create that thrilling tension in a different medium – in other ways that only a live theater experience can provide,” he added. “The most important thing became finding an incredible cast of really smart and thoughtful actors that would be able to deliver so much more than what was on the page.”
 
Bagley said that The Ring gives the audience this great gift of being so close to the action. 
 
“In many ways it opens the door to more modern and fresh styles of storytelling – it’s more cinematic,” he said.  “It allows for these great actors to exist in a world of true authenticity without the larger-than-life needs of bigger spaces. There’s an undeniable nature to it. The character is right there; you could reach out and touch them. It gives a story like this a really haunting quality – it’s a locked room mystery where you’re locked in the room with them.
 
The Ring’s Executive Director Margherita Giacobbi echoes that same quality about the theatre.

“The more I work at the Players Ring, the more I realize that our recipe for success is the ability to juxtapose excellent brand-new plays with published titles, contemporary or classic, without ever giving up on the ambition to be original and innovative in our approach,” she said. 

“Our space lends itself beautifully to this: the audience experience is so immediate and intimate that even a familiar play can look and feel completely different here.”

But there’s more to it than a unique space, she added. 

“What really makes the difference is the mindset of our directors, designers, and performers. They approach these stories with imagination, courage, and compelling reasons for telling them now. They find ways to surprise us—and to surprise themselves. We do it every year with ‘A Christmas Carol’, and taking on one of the Queen of Crime’s best-known works presents a similarly thrilling challenge.

“Some of you may be thinking, ‘Meh, I’ve seen it already!’” Giacobbi said. “We encourage you to give us a chance. If there’s someone who can create hard-core theatrical magic, it’s Ben Bagley, who is also our technical director. He brings multifaceted talents in directing and design, and a keen aesthetic sense that is never there for its own sake, but always to serve the play."

Giacobbi said having eleven actors onstage is exciting for them — a much larger cast than its budgets and space typically afford. 

“Several are new to our stage, which is über-exciting, and they’re working alongside longtime superstars of our theatre community,” she added.

The four-weekend run is another experiment this Mainstage Season.

“Our shows have typically run for two or three weeks, but demand has been growing, and it’s wonderful to give more people the opportunity to experience them,” Giacobbi said. 

“There’s something lovely about offering a little resistance to the ephemeral nature of theatre: letting a production live a little longer before we say goodbye. And around Halloween, what better occasion to come out for some top-notch art, entertainment, and suspense?”

Curious about the process? The first Sunday matinee show will be followed by an optional talkback with the director and cast.

The cast for “And Then There Were None” includes Elly Berke, Sanford Farrier, Noah J. Fox, Jim Manclark, Niko McPherson, Joshua P. Moore, Bretton Reis, Krysten Schmelzer, Matthew Schofield, Constance Witman and Collin Young. The creative team is Ben Bagley for Set, Lighting and Sound Design; Joshua Mills for Set Construction; Valerie Smith for Costume Design and Niko McPherson as Production Manager.

The Ring’s neighbor, The Puddle Dock restaurant, and its sister restaurant, Tour on Lafayette Road, are both offering a 10% discount on food to Players Ring patrons. Visit their websites to reserve, and present your ticket when you ask for your check.
 
The Players Ring is grateful for the support of its donors and sponsors.
 
Production Champions for this play: Sue Forti & Bob Houlihan
Patrons of the Arts: New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, New England Foundation for The Arts, The Eppes-Jefferson Foundation, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, The John Bickford Foundation, TOUR Golf & Grill, The Puddle Dock Restaurant, Southport Printing Company and Raka Creative. 
Season Supporters: The Rosamond Thaxter Foundation, Portsmouth Recreation Department, Business Cents, Meredith Village Savings Bank, Kittery Community Center, ACE Handyman Services Seacoast, Dowling HVAC, Port City Makerspace. Media Partners: Portsmouthnh.com and Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth. The Ring Works New Play Lab is supported by Kennebunk Savings Bank.
 
 
 
 
Go & Do
What: “And Then There Were None,” As Time Goes By,” written by Agatha Christie and directed by Ben Bagley
Where:  Players Ring, 105 Marcy Street, Portsmouth NH
               Phone: 603-436-8123

When: Oct. 23 – Nov. 15. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Exceptions: Saturday, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. only and Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Cost: General Admission: $33; Seniors (65+)/Students/Veterans/First Responders: $31
This play is included in The Ring’s subscription packages. Visit www.playersring.org for more information and to purchase tickets. Inquire about group discounts at the Box Office.
The show will begin on time. Due to the intimate nature of our space, late seating is not permitted.