Some of Agatha Christie's work has dated as a result of time passing and copycats copying.

However, And Then There Were None, thanks to a combination of apparent simplicity and ferocious plotting, has lost none of its style.

The title, and the ending, may have changed several times in the material's various incarnations as book, play and film, but the claustrophobia of Christie's elegant story remains.

The action takes place in a mansion on a rocky island off the Devon coast.

Ten people have been invited to spend the weekend by a mysterious host.

The party atmosphere quickly evaporates when a disembodied voice accuses each one of evading justice after commiting a terrible crime.

Then, one by one, the guests start to die...

The set in the Eastbourne production is suitably stylish, with a giant porthole-style window giving a tantalising glimpse of freedom beyond.

And there are some decent performances from Gerald Harper as Sir Lawrence Wargrave, Mark Wynter as Dr Edward Armstrong, Dennis Lill as William Blore, Peter Byrne as General John Mackenzie and Chloe Newsome as Vera Claythorne.

Alex Ferns, as Captain Philip Lombard, struggled both with the requisite clipped accent and projecting his voice clearly to the back of the theatre without bellowing, making the role more of a one-note character than it should be.

The odd witty aside was also swallowed up when he dropped his voice.

But Christie's thriller has enough of the essential stuff of thrillers – red herrings, sudden gunshots, twists, turns and revelations – for the audience to enjoy despite the odd lacklustre performance.

And Then There Were None is on at the Devonshire Park Theatre until Saturday night with evening performances at 7.45pm and a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.

Call 01323 412000 for tickets.