appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

Yupina Ng

A group of local actors are looking to transport audiences back to 1939 with a stage production of British novelist Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.
Actress Elizabeth Smith and director Andy Burt are bringing the acclaimed novel to a Sheung Wan stage through theatre outfit Silver Rose Productions.
“I have been a fan of Agatha Christie for some time, but this story is my favourite,” Smith, the lead actress, said.
The story follows a group of people who have been tricked into coming to an island where they look on as they are all mysteriously murdered one by one.
“In order to get ideas, I, in my totally obsessive way, began watching and listening to every version, whether on film or radio, I could get my hands on. I even watched a version entirely in Russian,” Smith said.

Juggling a day job with rehearsals at night, Smith said she fell in love with drama very young.
“My first major role was as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. It was a Clearwater Bay School production and I was only 11. I moved to Britain when I was 15 and continued with school productions throughout,” she said.
“I am a naturally empathetic person and acting gives me the chance to step into another person’s, sometimes ruby, shoes.”
Burt, the play’s director, said of Smith: “Elizabeth is a great actor to work with as she is very open-minded and willing to try all the wacky exercises I throw at her.”
The novel was first presented on stage in London in 1943, but with a different ending from the original dark conclusion in the book, as Christie had been under pressure to rewrite the finale to make it happier, Smith said.
It was in 2015 when Christie’s grandson decided to commission the original ending for a stage production, which will be shown in Smith and Burt’s work next month at Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building.
In order to surprise the audience, the team decided to keep the film noir theme and turn the entire stage black and white.
“The idea came while we were brainstorming ways we could transport the audience back in time. We felt this would make for a visually stunning and unique experience,” Smith said.
Burt added: “Film noir and Agatha Christie seem to be an excellent match.”
Tickets are available at all URBTIX outlets from Monday.


Greater Bay Area offers jobs, career opportunities, lower living costs, but will young Hongkongers bite? Many need to be persuaded.

Danger lurks as Hong Kong’s hiking hordes discover city’s green country trails, stunning mountain views

So near, yet so far away: Hong Kong’s cross-border couples, families struggle with long separation from loved ones

Platform uses big data to match Hong Kong volunteers with causes that need help

City Weekend

Dark days on murder island restaged with local theatre rendition of Agatha Christie classic

Elizabeth Smith rehearses for the production. Photo: Handout

"and then there were none" Photo: Handout

News

Hong Kong

Education

British author’s murder masterpiece And Then There Were None set for Sheung Wan film noir stage reproduction
