Brighton Theatre Royal Review: Death on the Nile

Summary

Rating: ★★★★★
Running Dates: Tuesday 31st March-Saturday 4th April
Where to see it: Brighton Theatre Royal
Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes (incl. interval)

Review

Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie was the perfect ensemble of dramatic, suspenseful, and foreboding. It is a tale of a couple's idyllic honeymoon, cut short by a brutal murder.

Photography by Manuel Harlan

Agatha Christie was an English author, known for her 66 detective novels revolving around one detective. The play, a murder mystery led by detective Hercule Poirot (Mark Hadfield), performed at Brighton’s Theatre Royal used a two tiered stage with sliding partitions, low lighting, and spotlights to portray the British Museum and later the boat on the Nile.

The play began with a dramatic entrance from the detective, with loud thudding music and a thick wall of smoke. All that could be seen was the ominous outline of a man in his black detective hat.

The lavish costumes reflected the Egyptian adventure and showcased the characters' wealth and nobility. They sailed down the Nile, on a mission to return the sarcophagus from the museum to Egypt. 

Photography by Manuel Harlan

The splashing sound effects made the theatre feel like a large fish tank, but gave the illusion of sailing down the Nile, or at points, sitting stagnant as the case was inspected and the characters held hostage. Each character became a sitting duck, waiting for the murder to be solved.

The foreshadowing and foreboding jokes from the outset made for an unsettling tone as the audience buckled in to solve the mystery along with the cast. The hints to the tragedy from the start added to the unnerved deceit of what was ultimately a love story. The reference to the homicidal Egyptians was one of the play’s many Easter eggs.

Whilst Ludwig’s adaptation, directed by Lucy Bailey, is not faithful to the original novel, Jackie (Esme Hough) was true to the book and fit the role perfectly. Linnet (Libby Alexandra-Cooper) who in this version was British, still embodied the beauty and wealth her original character possessed. The whole cast's acting was of talent and decorum.

The play concludes with the cast gathered, alibis uncovered, and despite the perfectly planned turn of events, the truth still prevailed. The repeated reference to a ‘memorable trip’ ends the performance with the reflection of all the remaining cast staying in touch.

With constant reference to Agatha Christie’s other novels, it shines light on detective Poirot’s many successful cases, with hints of more to come. Claims are made like Christie being better than Shakespeare, adding to the web that connects the play to the wider literature sphere.

This performance is a must see for Agatha Christie fans, but it is also impressive for individuals who are unfamiliar with her work. The crowd was a surprising mix of ages and seemed to cater to all with the humorous style that had all the whole audience chuckling. 

Written by Isabel Meszaros

We were kindly gifted these tickets in exchange for a review