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!!