Agatha Christie's Death On The Nile

Fiery Angel’s new staging of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile at Milton Keynes Theatre is a thoroughly entertaining and unexpectedly fresh take on a familiar murder mystery. Ken Ludwig’s adaptation, under Lucy Bailey’s direction, opens up Christie’s tightly wound plot imaginatively - a clever multi-level set neatly depicts the different decks of the steamer, letting characters cross, collide and eavesdrop in plain sight, while lighting and sound sell the relentless Egyptian heat and the cooler, more dangerous nights aboard ship.

Mark Hadfield’s Hercule Poirot is an absolute joy — precise, slightly bumbling and quietly thoughtful. His amusing monologue early on (in which he declares, “Shakespeare was no Agatha Christie”) sets the tone: playful, self-aware and a touch mischievous. Glynis Barber’s Salome Otterbourne adds glamour and sparkle, and Bob Barrett’s Colonel Race is the dependable rock the plot needs. The supporting cast slip seamlessly between suspects, lovers and secret-holders.

Bailey’s production makes smart use of some new material bookending the original play which adds additional motive and context. The pacing is thoughtful — the plot remains refreshingly easy to follow without ever losing momentum — and there are well-judged moments of romance and action that lift the proceedings beyond mere puzzle-solving into proper theatrical entertainment.

All performances were excellent, and the audience response — including a small, heartfelt standing ovation from the front row — felt perfectly apt for a show that balances wit, heart and theatrical invention. Whether you come as a devoted Christie fan or simply for a night of absorbing theatre, this Death on the Nile is worth the trip.

Photo Gallery