Prepare for a deadly trip down the Nile this week – as this Agatha Christie classic makes port at the Grand Opera House York.
The iconic murder mystery novelist’s 1937 Death on the Nile has had its fair share of adaptations, most recently Kenneth Branagh’s 2022 film adaptation. Now, its latest iteration reunites writer Ken Ludwig, director Lucy Bailey and Fiery Angel for another fatal expedition.
As the curtain rises the audience are introduced to a conveyer belt of characters about to embark on a luxurious cruise under the heat of the Egyptian sun, unsuspecting of the backstabbing that’s to come – with the betrayal starting long before any murder is committed.
I myself was previously unfamiliar with this particular Christie crime, so it was a delight to watch the mystery unfold as oblivious as the characters on stage – apart from one, of course.
Mark Hadfield is outstanding as Hercule Poirot; he manages the difficult balance of evoking a longstanding beloved character while also adding his own unique charm. He injects Poirot with a whimsical aplomb, providing many lighter moments of comedic relief, but delivering the inevitable takedown of the murderer with an unquivering sense of steel.
The ensemble cast are uniformly excellent, and it’s clear that they’re having a lot of fun relishing in the moments of melodrama – Glynis Barber as Salome Otterbourne and Terence Wilton as Septimus Troy particularly stand out in these moments.
Bob Barrett’s Colonel Race makes an unexpectedly entertaining double act with Poirot, while Libby Alexandra-Cooper as Linnet Ridgeway grounds the play in emotional gravitas and displays genuine vulnerability as paranoia twists around her with each tremulous word.
A character that cannot be overlooked, however, is the set itself. Both effective and impressive for its simplicity, the two levels and sliding slatted doors elevate the mystery and create balconies, bedrooms and even the British museum, where the sarcophagus watches over all.
Mike Britton’s design is only enhanced by Oliver Fenwick’s lighting design and Mic Pool’s sound design – creating a convincing cruise ship on dry land and making the audience feel as trapped there as the characters themselves.
The costume (Sarah Holland) and hair and makeup (Elizabeth Marini) are a visual spectacle and perfectly capture the 1930s era; I was almost more excited to see which beautiful dress was coming onto stage next rather than solving the murder. Perhaps one of the most striking was Jacqueline de Bellefort’s (Esme Hough) all-red number at the beginning of the play, foreshadowing the bloodshed that’s to come.
It’s an admittedly slow journey to get to any bloodshed, but the elongated first act does well to build up the tension and characters so that the pay-off in act two is keenly felt as the stage descends into controlled chaos with Poirot calmly at the helm.
This assured production is sure to please long-term fans of the author and genre, as well as anyone looking for an escape into the world of a cosy murder mystery – book your own ticket down the Nile for an undeniably entertaining night out.
Death on the Nile is at the Grand Opera House York until Saturday 7 March. Tickets start from £15 and available here.
