PLAY REVIEW: Death on The Nile ★★★
There is a stately confidence to this touring production of Death on the Nile , Agatha Christie’s whodunnit which has been given a theatrical life by adaptor Ken Ludwig, and directed with panache by Lucy Bailey . Set aboard a luxurious steamer boat, Mark Hadfield ’s Hercule Poirot is an affable, with subtle comic presence, though the performance occasionally lacks the razor-edged precision the role demands, especially in the opening passage. The ensemble, including Glynis Barber and Bob Barrett , commit fully to the melodrama, with Libby Alexandra-Cooper ’s Linnet bringing fragility to the ill-fated actress. Yet, in condensing Christie’s intricate plotting, the adaptation trims away some of the novel’s psychological depth, leaving motivations feeling a little disheveled rather than fully immersive. Visually, Oliver Fenwick ’s lighting evokes the heat of Egypt and the creeping unease beneath it. Mic Pool’s sound adds an eerie...
