Review: DEATH ON THE NILE, Theatre Royal Brighton

Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile - here adapted by Ken Ludwig and directed by Lucy Bailey - arrives on stage with all the glamour and menace you’d hope for: a sun-soaked cruise, a clutch of suspiciously well-dressed passengers, and, inevitably, a murder that sends everything spiralling.

If you caught their 24/25 production of Murder on the Orient Express, you’ll recognise the hallmarks immediately. Ludwig and Bailey clearly know what works, and they stick to it: bold characterisation, clean storytelling, and a sense of theatrical flair that keeps things moving at pace. There’s even a familiar face in Bob Barrett, returning this time as Colonel Race, bringing a reassuring steadiness to the chaos.

And it is pace that really carries this production. The plotting feels tight, the suspense well-judged, and the whole thing is underpinned by sharp sound and lighting design that quietly do a lot of heavy lifting. It’s the kind of show where you feel the tension building without quite noticing how it got there.

The set design deserves a mention too. There’s a pleasing fluidity to it, with movement that mirrors the sway of the cruise liner itself. It keeps the staging dynamic without ever becoming fuss - exactly what a story like this needs.

Performance-wise, it’s a strong ensemble. Libby Alexander-Cooper makes a solid professional debut, more than holding her own, while Esme Hough gets the juiciest material as Jacqueline de Bellefort and absolutely runs with it. It’s a role that demands emotional range, and she delivers, giving the production much of its fire. Mark Hadfield is everything you could want Poirot to be – sharp, witty, charming, self-important, self-referential…and all accompanied by the prerequisite moustache twirling.

As for the mystery itself, well, I didn’t solve it. But then, I rarely do. More telling, though, were the audible gasps around the auditorium, along with a few smug chuckles from those who clearly had worked it out. Either way, the reveal lands, and that’s what counts.

This isn’t a radical reinvention of Christie, nor does it try to be. Instead, it’s a confident, well-oiled take on a classic, with just enough style and personality to keep it feeling fresh. A thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours, best taken with a healthy suspicion of everyone on board.

Death on the Nile runs at Theatre Royal Brighton until Saturday 4 April, before continuing on its UK Tour.