Walking into the ADC, the first thing I noticed was how few students there were in the auditorium. A combination of the selling power of Agatha Christie and the February Half Term break culminated in an audience almost packed with Cambridge locals. The cast and crew of Cambridge students certainly gave them the night at the theatre they had all come for.

Returning to the ADC stage for the first time in 72 years, Izzy Colman and Pauline Eller’s charming production of The Hollow is a fast-paced, witty, (mostly) well-designed, and brilliantly acted rendition of a Christie classic. The plot follows a gathering of friends and family on the Angkatell family estate until a shot is fired. Accusations fly and there are endless motives explored — but who pulled the trigger?

“The quality of the directing shone through”

It would be remiss to open any review of the production with anything other than praise for the cast, as the acting was far and away the highlight of the production. Christie’s writing presents a challenge — how does one play a (often posh and bumbling) caricature whilst delivering a three-dimensional, emotionally convincing performance? Under the direction of Colman and Eller, the cast of The Hollow handled this balance skilfully.

Perhaps the best examples were the portrayals of Henrietta Angkatell (Amy Brian) and Gerda Christow (Cat Strong). Aided by roles that demanded more emotional bandwidth, both Brian and Strong delivered performances of impressive gravitas. They skillfully balanced moments of Shakespearean tragedy, including breakdowns fit for Lady Macbeth, with their standard comic roles, seamlessly fitting into the generally lighthearted and quick-witted show.

“The acting kept the audience on the edge of their seats”

These performances were contrasted with the hilariously comic Lucy Angkatell (Betty Blythe). Blythe’s mastery of physical and vocal comedy was so magnetic that subtle eye rolls or flicks of the hair garnered laughs from the audience. Paired with the equally fantastic comic servants (played by Jake Leigh and Emma O’Brien), the production very rarely didn’t take advantage of a moment of humour. Many other performances were noteworthy; including Isaac Allen’s portrayal of the highly strung John Christow, Erin Tan’s brilliantly obnoxious Veronica Craye, and Emma Dawes’ perpetually earnest Midge Harvey. Aside from a few moments of slightly stilted performance at the start of the show, likely to be smoothed over after opening night, and a slightly overly dramatic stage death, the acting kept the audience on the edge of their seats through the twists and turns of the murder mystery.

The quality of the performances was enhanced by a beautiful array of beige, pistachio green, and baby blue costumes designed by Melania Hamilton. The carefully picked colour palette would have made for a visually enticing production, if not for the set design. A tall brick wall sat against a cyclorama marking the back of a raised living room space. Astroturf with molehills carpeted the front of the ADC stage, however, the space between these two elements of the set seemed largely forgotten about. It was a shame the set’s potential to stun was slightly unrealized by a failure to utilise the whole stage space.

Colman and Eller’s production was heralded as the grand return of Agatha Christie’s The Hollow to the ADC stage after 72 years. For the most part, the revival was grand indeed. The quality of the directing shone through in the overwhelmingly strong performances delivered by the cast.

But alas, reviewing any murder mystery is a thankless task, for any more details of the storyline would be a disservice to the mystery… But, if you are looking for an early antidote to Week 5 blues: an evening of quick wit, dramatic plot turns and incredible actors await you at the ADC. Quick — get your tickets, before all those enjoying their half term break snap them all up!

The Hollow is showing at the ADC Theatre, Tuesday 14th to Saturday 18th February, 7:45pm, with a 2:30pm performance on the 18th.