AGATHA Christie's venerable thriller gets a modest but effective staging, as a group of suspects and victims are polished off one by one with varying degrees of plausibility while the audience gets steadily more enthused and amused by the horrid absurdity.

While Mollie Prince as Vera Claythorne makes a likeable heroine with a blood curdling line in screams, Robert Franks proves extremely able as Philip Lombard, delivering his lines with just the right balance of wit and sinister edge.

Other Franks involved include Michael, who gives us the night's most impressive death, Martin, with an energetic performance as the increasingly panic stricken William Blore, Dan and Andy, who supply unobtrusive but mostly successful lighting and sound effects, and Sandra, who acts as Producer and, we suspect, Director.

Louise Mason and Chris Walker made a nice couple as the Rogers, Norma Mackey as the gloomy Emily Brent had a beautifully enunciated delivery, Phil Jordan as General MacKenzie developed a suitably haunted air, and Michael Tosdevin's Judge Wargrave and Nick Barrett's Dr Armstrong kept us guessing.

A little too much reliance on the prompt on this first night didn't spoil the audience's enjoyment.

Ham Quentin

(COR)