DEATH ON THE NILE
Richmond Theatre
★★★★
“Each performer is in tune with the requisite balance of light and shade – humour and suspense”
Agatha Christie’s Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, has become one of the most recognisable figures in detective fiction, first appearing in print over a century ago. So popular was he, that when he died from a heart attack in the 1975 novel, ‘Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case’, Poirot was the only fictional character to receive an obituary on the front page of the New York Times. It is no surprise that the dignified and diminutive detective found himself portrayed in film by the likes of such heavyweights as David Suchet, Peter Ustinov and Kenneth Branagh.
Anyone who steps into his shoes has a formidable legacy to live up to. Mark Hadfield, in Ken Ludwig’s touring stage adaptation of “Death on the Nile”, slips into them comfortably. Stylishly directed by Lucy Bailey, the assumption is that the majority of the audience will know the story, so characterisation and atmosphere take centre stage, with the mystery sidelined to the wings. Bailey still manages to keep the suspense, opening with a London street scene in which two lovers are entwined in romantic complicity. Poirot watches on as the mist swirls. We are in film noir territory before Hadfield steps out of the shadows and speaks directly to us. A glint in his eye, and subtle inflections in his accent, are a tacit and conspiratorial directive not to take things too seriously. In fact, as the play progresses, we increasingly realise how adept Ludwig is at eking out gentle humour from Christie’s story.
A glittery party at the British Museum introduces the principal characters, before the action shifts to the Nile cruise ship. Designer Mike Britton leads us from land to water with impossibly slick dexterity on his two-tiered set. Slatted panels slide and shift revealing layers and secrets. There is an undercurrent of furtive activity behind the main action downstage. Mic Pool’s sound design mixes folksy Egyptian musical motifs with the lapping waves of the Nile and nighttime cries of wildlife; while Oliver Fenwick’s lighting follows the various moods with precision. Evoking the setting, too, are the costumes with their mix of muted beiges for the men and floating, art deco chic for the women.
The play moves at quite a pace. It is no spoiler to reveal that a gunshot closes act one while the discovery of a dead body introduces the second act. From here Poirot moves towards his conclusion in breathtaking time. Unusually, not everyone is a suspect – the detective has already narrowed it down a fair bit. That doesn’t prevent us from getting to know the delightful personalities that have followed each other (unwittingly or otherwise) onto the ship. Central to the piece are newlyweds Linnet (Libby Alexandra-Cooper) and Simon (Nye Occomore). Simon, unfortunately, was hitherto engaged to the furious Jacqueline de Bellefort (Esme Hough) who seems intent on some sort of revenge (but remember, all is not what it seems). Each performer is in tune with the requisite balance of light and shade – humour and suspense. Bob Barrett, as Poirot’s old friend and sidekick Colonel Race, is a delight to watch. Glynis Barber’s hack-writer-turned-ham-actress Salome provides wonderful comic relief. The cameos and ensemble are all as important as the lead players, but it is Alexandra-Cooper’s stage debut as Linnet that shines. A natural performer and a name to look out for.
A couple of clumsy moments are in danger of tripping up the otherwise slick flow, but the tour has only just set sail, and these will be ironed out in due course. Yet the confidence of the company steers it through its choppier moments. And the sense of fun is truly infectious. The customary denouement when Poirot calls everyone together for his summing up is greeted with derision by the characters as they momentarily break out of their roles. ‘I hate this part’, says Colonel Race. ‘I love it’ retorts Poirot. An epilogue, delivered direct to the audience, neatly gives us closure.
This interpretation of “Death on the Nile” has a style all of its own. There is only one verdict, really, and it doesn’t need a Belgian detective to spell it out. Go and see it for yourself. Et, viola… Mon ami!
DEATH ON THE NILE
Richmond Theatre then UK Tour continues
Reviewed on 9th October 2025
by Jonathan Evans
Photography by Manuel Harlan
Previously reviewed at this venue:
THE 39 STEPS | ★★★★★ | April 2024
DRACULA | ★★★ | March 2022
