Agatha Christie’s Death On The Nile UK theatre tour has reached Birmingham and we got a first look at the famous murder mystery on opening night. Here’s what you can expect.
Death On the Nile is running at The Alexandra theatre in Birmingham city centre from Tuesday April 7 until Saturday April 11. This is the latest Christie stage adaptation from celebrated director Lucy Bailey and it’s thrilling.
Bailey turned heads with her work on Witness For The Prosecution at London’s County Hall before moving on to And Then There Were None and Murder On The Orient Express.
Now she teams up again with stage adaptor Ken Ludwig for this new version of another much-loved who-dunnit featuring Hercule Poirot from the ‘Queen of Crime’, Death On The Nile. She doesn’t hold back on the drama or the realism in her killings either.
Set on board a luxurious cruise in Egypt, the show has grand, luxurious sets. It dazzles from the start as a cavalcade of fascinating characters gather in the British Museum to see an ancient Egyptian mummy. The costumes are particularly dazzling.
Soon, the same people are taking a trip along the Nile in Egypt including world-famous detective, Poirot, but evil is among them.
We see a couple’s idyllic honeymoon cut short by a brutal murder, romance blossoming and cunning plots as all the holidaymakers on board the ship have secrets to be uncovered.
It’s a passionate storyline and Bailey has altered some of the plot and characters of the minor players, but it all works on stage and honours the original story. This Death On The Nile is thoroughly entertaining for fans of Christie and a who-dunnit.
Although there are fewer murders than in the movie and book of the same name, it draws the audience in with suspense, far more wit and first rate performances.
Taking on the role of Poirot is Mark Hadfield, whose a familiar face from his roles in Belfast and Outlander. He’s got an air of Peter Ustinov about his Poirot and is a real delight.
Among the motley crew of suspects are Dempsey and Makepeace TV star Glynis Barber, who is a safe pair of hands on stage. There’s also Holby City’s Bob Barrett as Colonel Race, who has a lovely rapport with Hadfield’s Poirot and they become a charming double act at the centre of the plot.
Esme Hough, Nye Occomore and Libby Alexandra-Cooper are well cast as the bright young things caught in a love triangle.
There’s an ingenious staging of the boat over two storeys that allows the action to remain fast-paced as suspects meander the balconies of the steam cruiser.
Death On The Nile is an engrossing, superb crack at a Christie classic that is a delight from start to end for murder mystery lovers.
How to see Death On The Nile in Birmingham
Catch Agatha Christie’s Death On The Nile at The Alexandra theatre in Birmingham city centre until Saturday April 11.
Get tickets from The Alexandra website here, starting from £18.95. The show is 2 hours and 20 minutes long.