Christie adaptation staged in Karachi

KARACHI: A production of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, was staged by Clockwork Productions at Karachi’s Arts Council last weekend.

The play tells the story of a couple called Mr and Mrs Owen, who have invited various other guests over to a reclusive island to stay with them.

But the guests can’t find the couple and the only people playing host to them are the butler Roger and his wife Ethel Rogers.

And Then There Were None is based on Agatha Christie’s most popular novel and has been turned into several plays, films and even a video game.

According to the director of the play Rafeh Mahmud, who has recently completed his O’Levels from Bay View Academy and aspires to become an actor or a musician said, “It’s a powerful and a different play ... something based on real life. People did get offended by the (fake) blood on the wall but these are strange and surreal things.”

Mahmud enacted the role of Philip Lombard, who he says he can relate to because “he is a young, flirty character.”

Nada Shah played the role of young Dr Armstrong. The 18-year-old who is currently majoring in Sociology and Political Science from University of Western Ontario said she could not relate to the character. But “acting is about being something and I enjoy it.”

One of the most commendable roles was that of Emily Brent which was enacted by Sara Saifi, a Grammarian, who said, “The nun was a very religious person, and in that sense I can relate to it.” Moreover, she said, “It has been one hectic month, we have been completely engrossed in the play.”

Ahmed Majeed - who also starred in the production of Moulin Rouge - said that it was a “captivating play.”

“Enacting the role of the Judge Wargrave was fun because I want to become a lawyer when I grow up,” he said.

Meriyum Mohammad Ali delivered a good performance as the widow Mrs Meckanzie. “I played the role of the dead general’s wife who is very prim and proper,” Ali said.

The sound was done by Ghazaal Zuberi, lights by Raza Verani, make-up was done by Alizeh Atif and Nadia Khan and the stage was managed by Rosheen Birdie and Saarah Khan Ghazi.

The play was co-directed by Rafeh Mahmud and Ibrahim Naqvi.

This was Clockwork Productions’ second play. Their first, Marturia, was staged in February this year.

Published in The Express Tribune August 9^th, 2010.