Review – Death on the Nile, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 4th November 2025

Posted on November 5, 2025 by therealchrisparkle

Death on the Nile is one of Agatha Christie’s most famous stories; its enduring popularity evidenced by its being adapted for film twice, with Peter Ustinov as Poirot in 1978 and Kenneth Branagh in the role in 2022. Christie even adapted the book as a play herself – Murder on the Nile, which appeared in the West End in 1946. Wisely, this production goes nowhere near that play, which isn’t that impressive to be honest. Instead, Ken Ludwig, who also adapted Murder in the Orient Express a few years ago, has created a brand-new adaptation – and certainly taken plenty of liberties with the original.

I mention this because, if you are an Agatha Christie purist, you might be aghast at some of the changes made. Christie filled her book with several extraneous characters who are all red herrings and play no part in the “plot”, so it makes sense to remove some of them. However, in so doing, Ludwig has also created new characters, such as the Shakespearean actor Septimus Troy and British Museum curator Atticus Praed, primarily to enable a new introductory scene where Poirot attends an unveiling of a priceless sarcophagus on loan to the museum. This provides the museum donors with the opportunity to accompany the sarcophagus on its journey back to Egypt, transporting it on the luxury Nile cruise boat, the Karnak. A sheer flight of fantasy by the writer, but it does at least provide a purpose for the cruise.

Once we get to Egypt, the play starts to become more recognisably Death on the Nile, although there are still liberties taken – for example, the scene in the book where Linnet escapes being crushed by a falling boulder at Abu Simbel is replaced by her being trapped inside the sarcophagus and only just escaping in time. Ludwig’s script tells its story very clearly and engagingly and Lucy Bailey’s direction, despite a few unnecessarily stylised moments, is clean and effective in presenting the story whilst being honest with the audience as to how the crime was committed. And, most importantly, the play remains true to the book as regards the victim and perpetrator – although some other crimes in the book are omitted in this production.

Ludwig makes Poirot the narrator of the story, bookending it with an opening scene where he accidentally observes Simon Doyle meet Jacqueline de Bellefort at a train station, and ending it with an explanation of what happened to some of the other characters who were not involved with the crime. Ludwig can’t resist a couple of meta moments, with Colonel Race saying he hates the bit in the story where Poirot brings everyone into the room to confront them with a final denouement and Poirot contradicts him saying he loves that bit and goes offstage to prepare for it; and perhaps most cheekily when Poirot announces that Shakespeare’s not at all bad, but he’s no Agatha Christie. Well done, very clever.

Mike Britton’s set gives a good sense of the luxury of the boat, and combined with Oliver Fenwick’s lighting, effectively suggests various distant cabins and lounges, inhabited by transitory shadows, and general gives a convincing vibe of what “boat life” is all about. Unfortunately, the set doesn’t give you any sense of the gentle cruising motion of the boat, nor any sense of passing scenery. There’s a metal railing at the back of the set suggesting that beyond it is the river and its bank, but the backdrop remains firmly rooted in stillness, depicting some sheer rock face, so it doesn’t look as though they’re moving at all. Fenwick’s lighting comes into its own in the final denouement where it shines light on the crime reconstruction in a most satisfying way. And the costumes are arresting, with some glamorous evening dresses, even if they are more suggestive of the 1920s than 30s (that’s the purist in me raising his head again).

The performances are mostly very good, occasionally excellent. Esme Hough as Jacqueline and Libby Alexandra-Cooper, in her professional stage debut as Linnet, make a formidably antagonistic duo. Ms Hough is the picture of revenge as she targets her plots against those who have done her wrong, and Ms Alexandra-Cooper is delightfully petulant, rejecting any responsibility for what she has done. The coupling of Camilla Anvar as Miss Otterbourne and Nicholas Prasad as Ramses Praed also works extremely well, with very believable characterisations and an entertaining portrayal of young love.

Always one of my favourite actors, Howard Gossington is great as Atticus Praed, mixing geeky enthusiasm with paternal pride; and Nye Occomore is very good in the slightly underwritten role of Simon Doyle, quietly confident and nicely smug at his success with women. Some of the other characters come across a little too pantomimey for my liking, but I don’t think that’s a failing on the actors’ part, it’s what they’re required to do. Ludwig’s adaptation has made Colonel Race something of a comic buffoon, which is not how Christie presents him at all.

Mark Hadfield plays Poirot in a very engaging, confiding, understated way; he absolutely looks the part and, in the second Act, commands the stage with his interrogations and crime solving expertise. His French accent is a little unreliable; I’m sure you don’t pronounce très important as tray important but tray zimporton, but maybe it’s a Belgian thing. He also occasionally stumbles over his lines, and that’s very un-Poirot-like, who’s the paragon of precision. But overall, it’s a very good performance and he does convince you that he has little grey cells beyond the dreams of avarice.

Overall, an entertaining and diverting adaptation, well staged and acted. Just try not to be a purist if possible! After its week in Northampton, its extensive tour continues through to May 2026, visiting Truro, Torquay, Cardiff, Guildford, Canterbury, Chichester, Cheltenham, Malvern, Aberdeen, Glasgow, York, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Brighton, Birmingham, Nottingham, Dublin, Belfast, Norwich, Cambridge and Plymouth.

Production photos by Manuel Harlan

Three-sy Does It!

P. S. I was most delighted to read about the references to other works in the Christie canon in the programme, as they are almost identical to the references I mention in my Agatha Christie Challenge, so this is a perfect opportunity for me to plug my two-volume book. An excellent early Christmas present for a Christie fan!!

Review – Comedy of Errors, Oxford Shakespeare Company, Wadham College Oxford, 13th August 2011

Posted on August 15, 2011 by therealchrisparkle

There are few greater privileges in life than to be able to relax in the beautiful gardens of Wadham College Oxford, take in a picnic, enjoy a bottle of something velvety, and watch a performance by the Oxford Shakespeare Company. We’ve been coming here for many years now, and it’s always a joy. Some years are more joyous than others, depending on the plays. This summer they are bringing back two of their greatest hits. One is The Importance of Being Earnest, which we saw first time around, and is a super show. We may, if we get time and the weather is kind, try and see it again. The other is The Comedy of Errors, first performed by the OSC in 2004, one year before we discovered them. So it was with relish that we bagged our front row seats for last Saturday’s matinee.

Even if you’re a Shakespeare purist, “Comedy of Errors” is one of those plays that really lends itself to modernising and being messed around. On paper, the opening scene is exceptionally wordy and really rather tedious; but there’s no escaping it, otherwise the rest of the play doesn’t make sense. Chris Pickles’ delightful production does a huge amount of messing around with the play, re-inventing that opening scene in Ephesus TV’s studio as a game show, with host and hostess in sparkly garments, challenging Egeon to raise the money for his liberty else he dies, and all just for a bit of fun.

Another piece of inventiveness in this production is the use of Hollywood style songs, which certainly raise a smile and have been chosen cleverly to reflect the story. Some of the cast prove themselves to be very good at the song-and-dance routines! As a device, this didn’t quite work for me, but mainly because of the way I first encountered this play. When I was 17 I was lucky enough to be in the front row at the Aldwych for the RSC’s production by Trevor Nunn, with songs by Guy Woolfenden and starring Judi Dench, Michael Williams, Roger Rees, Francesca Annis, Mike Gwilym and many other brilliant performers. Guy Woolfenden took Shakespeare’s lines and wove them into brilliant, story-progressing songs. The Hollywood songs in this production are apt, but they don’t move the story forward – my bugbear in musical theatre.

Another joke that wore thin for me was the use of sound effects. Maybe I’m still suffering from Government Inspector overkill. Part of the circus/madcap/Keystone Kops element in this production includes cheeky sound effects to accompany many of the bits of comedy business. A horn honk for a slap on the tummy, a kazoo rasp for a kick up the bum, a fart sound for… well a fart actually; you get the picture. Funny and clever – at first… but then I have to confess it did slightly get on my nerves by the time we approached the interval. There was one extremely good sound effect – the sassy symbols that heralded each arrival of the Courtesan, more of whom later.

Now those topics are out of the way, I can tell you about the wonderful cast. One actor plays both Antipholuses and one both Dromios. That calls for a lot of hard work! Stand out brilliant was Howard Gossington as Antipholus of Syracuse and Ephesus. I had wondered how they would differentiate between the two characters – costume changes I supposed. And yes they do – Antipholus of Ephesus wears a gracious tie and sports a well to do hat, whilst his Syracusian brother has a tie-dye type thing and a fedora. But it’s almost unnecessary, as Mr Gossington invests both brothers with completely different vocal patterns and mannerisms; Ephesus is a rather posh travelling type who obviously went to a good school, and Syracuse is a bit of a Millwall supporting troublemaker. Both characterisations really worked well and it’s a great performance.

Nick Chambers as the two Dromios also puts in a good comic performance but the differences between the two servants are not so easy to define and so we rely a little more on his changing hat – white for Ephesus, black for Syracuse. I particularly enjoyed the relish with which he described the ghastly Nell, who had fallen for him.

For the Antipholine love interest, Alicia Davies is a stunning Adriana, in a sexy red dress and with cleavage bursting for freedom. She captures all the comedy of Adriana’s shrewish tendencies superbly, although she may slightly underdo her tenderer moments.Alyssa Noble makes an excellently bookish Luciana, and preens with hilarious pleasure when Antipholus makes amorous advances towards her.

The other members of the cast all bring great verve and vivacity to their characters; amongst the many parts they play, Benjamin Wells’ Angelo is Alan Sugar with added elegance;Kai Simmons is a superb Marlon Brando Godfather Balthazar, with a brilliant Mafia voice and mannerisms; Andrew Piper’s Officer is a hilarious sixth member of the Village People; and stealing every scene,James Lavender, appearing as every other female character, creates a Germanic Jessica Rabbit Courtesan with a high level of naughtiness about her – which included in the show we saw, her singling me out for some amorous attention and the promise of free Bratwurst after the performance. That was just one of many really funny interactions between cast and audience throughout the whole show that were carried off with great aplomb.

There’s a marvellously surreal sequence where Dromio appears to apologise for a bad bit of acting because he can’t quite understand Shakespeare’s drift, whereupon the whole cast turn into a bunch of text-dissecting pretentious luvvies trying to get to the heart of the meaning. I was completely fooled by the scene and genuinely thought Dromio was annoyed with his performance, until the rest chipped in. It’s a magnificent piece of invention. There’s also a bang up-to-date scene with Antipholus’ shopping bags with light references to looting and cross-dressing. Extremely funny stuff.

I’d highly recommend it. Even the aspects I didn’t really care for didn’t in any way spoil my enjoyment of this gusto-filled performance by a captivating cast in fabulous surroundings.