WHEN the new season productions at Ilkley Playhouse are confirmed, lists are pinned up outside the Playhouse office, inviting potential actors to sign up if they are interested in a part.

The appearance of the sign-up list for And Then There Were None – running at the Playhouse from September 14-24 – caused great excitement. The sheet of A4 was hardly large enough to hold the names of all our hopeful thespians. Aspiring General MacArthurs were forced to write vertically up the margins, while prospective Vera Claythornes squeezed their names in microscopic letters at the bottom of the page. This was going to be quite a challenge for our casting committee!

The problem – if you can call it that – is that everyone loves Agatha Christie. Even those who have not devoured her novels will have enjoyed her work in the theatre, on the big screen and on television. Ms Christie’s appeal is global.

The Ilkley Playhouse box office – having only just recovered from the deluge of ticket requests and lengthy waiting lists from Betty Blue Eyes – are braced for a similar demand for And Then There Were None. If you want to see this play, you really need to book your tickets as soon as you possibly can.

In the meantime, here are some interesting little titbits to keep you going until opening night:

l Agatha Christie is the only female dramatist ever to have three plays running simultaneously in London’s West End

l her name has appeared every day for the past 53 years in every newspaper with a West End Theatre listing

l of her own work, Christie’s favourite play was Witness For The Prosecution …

l … although, in 1972, she stated her favourite of all her books was And Then There Were None

l it took a lot of effort for Christie to persuade someone to produce a play version of And Then There Were None – most producers at the time insisted the storyline wouldn’t work on stage and that it would be laughed off

l in 2015, And Then There Were None was voted the World’s Favourite Christie in a global vote of fans from more than 100 countries; and

l according to the Christie estate, And Then There Were None has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, making it the bestselling crime novel of all time.

Oh – and back to the casting. In the end, it will be familiar faces that you see meeting their untimely demise on stage in September. The cast of Ilkley Playhouse’s And Then There Were None is made up of some of our most experienced and talented actors and actresses. Plus, it is directed by our artistic director, David Kirk; the man who brought you Betty Blue Eyes.

You can rest easy Agatha fans – this Christie is in very safe hands!

If you are looking for an evening’s entertainment in the meantime, then the Playhouse has lots on offer.

On August 20, we are joined by Simon Mayor and Hilary James, who bring an unconventional combination of humour and mandolin music: the name of the show, Tears of Laughter, gives a good idea what to expect. The pair’s virtuosity, plus Hilary James’ remarkable voice, make their diverse repertoire unforgettable.

Emotional twists and turns come from award-winning crime writer Bernie Crosthwaite, with her first full-length play All We Know of Heaven (September 1-3). We are delighted to be staging the premier of this dramatic tale. Audiences should be aware this production has adult themes.

Just before And Then There Were None opens, for one night only, we present Spine, a one-woman comedy drama charting the explosive friendship between a ferocious, wise-cracking teenager and an elderly East End widow. Spine is on September 8 at 7.30pm. This production also contains adult themes.

Tickets for And Then There Were None can be bought online at Ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or call the box office on 01943 609539. You can also follow Ilkley Playhouse on Facebook and Twitter for some tantalising rehearsal pics and some juicy backstage gossip.

Vani Midgley