REVIEW - Agatha Christie’s Death On The Nile - World class writers meet world class creatives, completed with world class actors!

On Wednesday, we were invited to Lowry, Salford to see Death On A Nile. Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had to say about this superb Agatha Christie drama...


When the world’s most successful crime writer blends with arguably the world’s most performed playwright, you pay attention, get out of whatever else it is you’re supposed to be doing, and make your way to the theatre.  I am of course talking about Agatha Christie’s Death On The Nile being adapted for stage by the brilliant Ken Ludwig.  Following the huge success and critical acclaim of Murder On The Orient Express, Lowry audiences are being treated to a second helping of the delightfully dignified and dapper Hercule Poirot as he now finds himself at the heart of a love story to die for.  Picture opulence, marriage, grandeur, and eccentricity, peppered with the magic of Egyptian mystique, then shatter the delicate illusion with murder and mayhem, as you experience a tap dance between love and hate in this twisting, turning, triumphant tale.

Death On The Nile whisks us from an elite gathering at a London museum, where a whimsical group of connected strangers attend the final viewing of an Ancient Sarcophagus, before transporting them to the River Nile as they accompany it back home to Egypt.  After a brief yet important introduction from Poirot himself, where he shares the grief that this particular case bestowed on his heart, we are directed into the story as events unfold.   Linnet Ridgeway is the cornerstone to each of the guests, a wealthy heiress who has just inherited everything following her father’s passing.  Jacqueline de Bellefort, her oldest friend, makes a surprise appearance to ask for a favour – a job for her new fiancé Simon Doyle.  Rosalie Otterbourne is also an old friend and travels with her flamboyant mother Salome Otterbourne, who desires admiration at all costs.  Atticus Praed is the museum curator for whom Linnet is a benefactor, and he travels with his newly qualified as a doctor son, Ramses.  Annabelle Pennington is Linnets Lawyer, and Septimus Troy is a famous actor who believes Linnets estate owes him money.  Completing the guests onboard the luxury cruise liner are Colonel Race, who is actually investigating another guest, and of course Hercule Poirot himself.  These introductions are smooth, efficient, playful, and dripping with witty humour, relaxing the audience into the pace of the show.  And just as you begin to enjoy the pleasantries, so begins the unexpected, starting with the marriage of Linnet!  As we discover more about each character, we edge ever closer to the inevitable brutal murder.  The remaining guests spiral as accusations fly, secrets are revealed, and panic ensues with the realisation that they are all trapped on board with a killer and no means of escape.  This case hits Poirot somewhat differently, his core rocked as he dispels lies, uncovering the full extent of evil at play.  Can he untangle the web of deceit, even if it means challenging the very essence of love?

This production, directed by Lucy Bailey, is slick, seductive, and sinuous, carving out endless interactions between the characters to continually keep us guessing.  The humour is expertly executed, giving these characters a freedom to be callous and self-serving, but with an honesty that is refreshingly freeing.  Every detail is considered, nothing is by chance, even the moving of set is choreographed to flow with the music, and timed to perfection, whilst simultaneously being an extension of the character who transports it.  It is cool, clever, and captivating.  With a fabulous set designed over two levels by Mike Britton, it not only allows interplay between the characters for heightened tension and drama but involves the audience in an intuitively intelligent way for we are privy to conversations that characters are not.  This direction equally encourages eavesdropping, dangerous whispers, and instinctive changes of pace.  The two levels are constructed of sliding, slatted wooden doors that create shadows, glimpses of who may be hiding behind them without ever being entirely sure, and allows for the stage to be continually reinvented as new rooms and spaces.  In certain lighting, due to the slats, they also felt imposing, giving a chilling echo of prison corridors, perhaps a glimpse of what lies ahead for some of the passengers.    A breath-taking moment plays out just before the murder happens, when the entire cast slowly and individually tease us with their presence behind the wall of slats.  We know someone is there, but we can’t make out who.  Mystery and intrigue escalate as somehow the cast have danced through the shadows to form a formidable line up of suspects hiding in plain sight, then a gun shot, then blackout!  Oooh I’m getting goosebumps just remembering!

Adapted for stage by Ken Ludwig, Death On The Nile is classy, exudes style, and gifts us a fabulous perspective on this wonderful classic.  With astute references to literature throughout, such as Shakespeare, Wind In The Willows, and even references to previous Christie works such as Murder On The Orient Express, there is a gentle playfulness at work that allows the audience to feel a part of tongue in cheek humour.  And that is one of the most generous offerings of this production, we the audience feel considered and included throughout.  There is an effortless flowing rhythm to dialogue, with jokes a plenty, that are carefully laid out like enticing breadcrumbs for us to follow, so that when the shocks come, they hit hard.  Poirot is such a well-known detective that touching anything he belongs to could be a blessing or a curse, but under the expert guidance of Ken Ludwig, we most definitely feel we are reuniting with an old friend who is just as pleased to see us as we are him.  This adaptation is also wonderfully self-aware, embracing the familiar formula of any Poirot story, and leaning into it, so that when the expected gathering of the suspects is ready to commence, where Poirot will dissect everyone’s alibi to highlight that nobody could have done it, yet indeed someone did, it is even expected from the characters themselves and they laugh about it!  In turn, this opens an opportunity to spotlight with more intensity, just how much Poirot lives for these moments and though he loathes the crimes, he loves solving them with every ounce of his being.  
  

Mark Hadfield (Dr. Strangelove, Into The Woods, Hamlet, Outlander) embodies our meticulous detective with amazing familiarity whilst equally discovering fresh nuances and making the role entirely unique.  It is like catching up with a long lost friend, you know them inside out, yet they have a few new endearing quirks.  Hadfield sets the tone and pace for the show by taking ownership from the start of the show, speaking directly to us with a relaxed ease that truly makes you forget Poirot is indeed a fictional character in a play.  His interplay with Bob Barrett (Murder On The Orient Express, Holby, And Then There Were None) as Colonel Race is wonderful.  The pair spar with professional mutual respect, yet there are still sweet spot moments to witness their desire to be top dog, such as them linking arms and both trying to dominate which way they will exit the stage. Bob Barrett once again brings us an outstanding rendition of a Christie character, commanding the stage with a gentle respect and admiration for his fellow academic friend Poirot.  He is authoritative without being demanding or pompous and provides a solid pillar of strength and a reliable core to the shows structure.  He exudes the love and respect that the audience feel towards Poirot too, making him a truly popular character.

Glynis Barber (Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, The Graduate, Blake’s 7) is illuminous as Salome Otterbourne.  Quirky, over the top, often inappropriate in the best possible ways, she has a flare for the artistic and dramatic and loves to toot her own horn and self-deprecate in equal measure.  This is a fabulous performance that firmly places Salome in the hearts of the audience.  In short, she is a scream!  No filter and opinionated, Glynis Barber makes this handful of a character entirely loveable.  Camilla Anvar (Bark Bark, Dead And Kicking) weaves magic as her daughter Rosalie Otterbourne, a lady who knows what she wants and gets it with a persuasive charm.  She is fun to watch and offers strong relationships throughout the cast, as a daughter, a lover, and a support system to Jacqueline, played by the impressive Esme Hough (Grace, Professor T, A Midsummer Night’s Dream).  Hough’s is such a powerfully strong emotive performance that not only do we see her love, loathe, manipulate, grieve, have fun, be lost, she also takes the audience on the journey with her so that we too feel a range of conflicting emotions towards Jacqueline ranging from pity to empathy.  Completing the love triangle are Libby Alexandra-Cooper (professional debut) as the elite Linnet Ridgeway and Nye Occomore (Industry, Grantchester) as the lovestruck Simon Doyle.  Libby Alexandra-Cooper devours this role with ease, allowing Linnet to be fun and flirtatious one minute, then spoiled and aloof the next.  The performance is layered with intricately woven conflicting traits to keep both the other characters and indeed the audience on their toes, always second guessing how Linnet may respond next.

Nye Occomore is brilliant as Simon Doyle, utterly convincing of how fast and hard he seemingly falls in love.  He brings an open fiery passion that is juxtaposed against deeper waters within.  It is a beautifully balanced performance.  Howard Gossington (Patriots, Tina:  The Tina Turner Musical, The Hobbit) as Atticus Praed starts the show with a nervous energy as he needs to guard to the precious sarcophagus as if his life depended on it, which it may well do.  But as the story unfolds, he allows the façade to slip, revealing a stronger underlying cause of his stressed persona.  Dualled alongside this is his relationship with his son, Ramses, performed by Nicholas Prasad (The Full Monty, The Comedy Of Errors, The BFG) and we witness this bond growing stronger through a tender respect.  Prasad follows a similar trajectory, though for very different reasons.  He starts as a bumbling nervous wreck, particularly around Rosalie, but as his medical skills are required and he starts to realise his worth, he also gains the respect of his father and we see his confidence blossom, giving us a wonderful piece of character growth.  Helen Katamba (Tennessee, Rose, Macbeth, Karen Pirie) as Annabelle Pennington gives us a fabulously larger than life performance of Linnet’s lawyer, brash, pushy, bordering on rude, she causes ripples whenever she enters the room and makes her presence felt.  She is often a catalyst for tension then denies all accountability, giving us the perfect blend for a crime thriller.  Terence Wilton (And Then There Were None, Witness For The Prosecution, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof) as Septimus Troy is a joy to behold!  Theatrical, in need of praise, loveable, yet self-absorbed, he provides numerous comedic moments and partners beautifully with Glynis Barber as Salome.  He is robust, confident yet insecure all rolled into a delightfully comedic performance.

There is a reason that Agatha Christie remains the bestselling novelist of all time and it is no coincidence that two of the worlds biggest fictional detectives – Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, were birthed by her genius mind.  Her play The Mousetrap is the longest running play in the world, and to be outsold only by The Bible and Shakespeare is quite a legacy and achievement.  To have her work adapted by the equally impressive and multi award winning Ken Ludwig, is a stroke of genius and one not to be missed.  The pairing works wonders to emphasise the cheeky brand of humour notable to both writers, and the mutual respect they both bestow upon their audience.  Allow yourself to imagine Agatha Christie’s Death On The Nile as a cave of wonders, bursting to the brim with riches so plentiful, you can gorge yourself time and time again.  Now imagine Ken Ludwig’s adaptation as a treasure map, guiding us towards the brightest jewels in the cave, ensuring we get as rich as we possibly can in the restricted time allocated to us.  We are extremely well looked after in this production, world class writers meet world class creatives, completed with world class actors.  It is something special and you feel it.  You will laugh, you will jump, you will be caught out, and you will leave with the knowledge of whodunnit, so be kind to others – no spoilers. Allow them the same experience you had.  Let them wonder, gasp, be thrilled, and let them carve out a little extra room in their lives for that infamous moustache growing, eccentric, vain yet exceptional world class detective, Hercule Poirot.

WE SCORE DEATH ON THE NILE...



Death On The Nile is on Lowry, Salford until Saturday 4th October 2025.

Watch our "In Conversation with Ken Ludwig" video discussing the production

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