By: Sara Lamerton
There’s nothing quite like a good old whodunit to get the “little grey cells” whirring, and no character as recognisable in this genre as Agatha Christie’s infamous protagonist, Hercule Poirot.
The eccentric Belgian detective is the star of many of Christie’s best-loved works; Death on the Nile is no exception. And, as we’ve all come to expect, Poirot’s uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time (or wrong, depending on whose perspective you’re taking) sees him investigate the murder of a wealthy heiress, Linnet Ridgeway, on her ill-fated Egyptian honeymoon. What starts as an idyllic trip down the Nile quickly escalates into a dissection of the passenger’s torrid motivations, jealous obsessions, and grudge-fueled familial legacies.
Starring Mark Hadfield, whose tongue-in-cheek portrayal of Poirot is lighter and more carefree than some of the recent film and TV incarnations, elicits lots of laughs from the audience with his wiggles, moustache curls, and well-timed humour. Libby Alexandra-Cooper is near perfect in the role of Linnet Ridgeway – glamorous, beautiful, entitled, and dislikeable in equal measures. Esme Hough superbly conveys the unhinged, sociopathic obsession of Jacqueline De Bellefort and Nye Occomore’s depiction of the opportunistic, weak, snivelling, Simon Doyle, lands perfectly.
On-screen adaptations of Death on the Nile are notoriously glamorous: rugged, historical landscapes; imposing pyramids, and grandiose champagne receptions – yet Ken Ludwig’s stage production, directed by Lucy Bailey, is the antithesis of this. The minimalist set, designed in such a way as to convey a sense of claustrophobia – aside from the odd splash of glamour in the form of costumes and a prominent sarcophagus – means that we, along with the cast, are trapped in a moving prison with no means of escape. This, accompanied by the eerie lighting and forbidding soundtrack are expertly used at the most dramatic and tense moments. None more so than at the end of Act One, where our stylishly self-involved victim falls prey to the unknown murderer: a tense scene deserving of the spontaneous applause which erupted as the curtain came down.
Of course, many, like myself, will go in knowing whodunnit beforehand, yet if you haven’t happened upon Death on the Nile before, there’s a lot to be enjoyed in experiencing this version for the first time, as well as something new for the more seasoned Christie lovers. And, while I stood in the ice cream queue during the interval and listened to the chatter about possible suspects, I delighted in the fact that even after 89 years, this classic British murder mystery still intrigues people to this day.
However, underneath the glamour, drama, and salacious plotlines underpinning Christie’s stories, Poirot’s conscientiousness, diligence, and unwavering dedication to doing the right thing override all else. And, like his most famous Death on the Nile quote:
“Do not open your heart to evil. Because – if you do – evil will come. Yes, very surely evil will come. It will enter in and make its home within you, and, after a little while, it will no longer be possible to drive it out.”
Poirot’s denouement leaves the audience to ponder the complexity, selfishness, and redemption arc of human nature, and to ask ourselves where we fall on the spectrum of good vs evil.