Late as the evening settled, I make my way to Arts Council’s newly constructed auditorium, only to find it full on a Monday evening despite the working day and Karachi’s merciless traffic jams. Crowds of all age groups file in to watch’s the Agatha Christie classic that has been playing in London theatre for over 50 years. The curtains part to a homely guest house with its the newly set-up Monkswell Manor, and a couple tottering around; brilliant in its simplicity and decent costumes to fit the stage. As the story progresses all guests begin to check in, strangers to one another and confined indoors thanks to a storm. The radio announces news of a murder and in comes an Inspector to investigate, alerting the subjects of another murder of one of the occupants in the house. The story is a simple thriller, the kind many of us have read be it Christie’s or anyone else, a serial killer on a murder spree and ulterior agenda fueling him. The show started on a low note, with the Ralstons (the guest house owners) lacking the energy that the theatre stage demands. But enter Christopher Wren (Aryaan Aslam) and he became everything the stage was waiting for with grasping articulation, carrying the enthusiasm of his character very well. Saif Leonardo Tariq Quraishi as Mr. Paravicini was another highlight with his foreign accent and his body language emanating the sadistic nature of a potential murderer well enough to doubt him from the moment he makes his entrance. The most interesting and consistent touch I found, was the constant crackling of the fire in the background. While I did think it was a simple and well-executed show, there is area for a lot of improvement. The sound system with some characters loud and others not audible at all was a major put off. Almost all faces on the stage were new to me, some made an incredible debut with this production and others looked uncomfortable in their characters. The show, a production of the Gaslight Company, ran for two days and all proceeds were announced to go to Parents Voice Association – UJALA for children with special abilities. •