Richmond Theatre – until Saturday October 11th 2025
Reviewed Carly Burlinge
5*****
Richmond Theatre presents Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile; a classic “whodunnit” murder mystery, full of intrigue, subterfuge and comedy.
The benefactors of the British Museum’s Egyptology department are brought together for a gala event, by the curator Atticus Praed (Howard Gossington), to celebrate the return of an important Pharoah’s sarcophagus to Egypt. All the attendees to the gala will be escorting the sarcophagus on its final journey down the Nile, including Hercule Poirot (Mark Hadfield), a celebrated detective, who is known for solving mysterious murders. Against the background of the gala, Jacqueline De Bellefort (Esme Hough) seeks out her old school friend, Linnet Ridgeway (Libby Alexandra-Cooper) to introduce her fiancé, Simon Doyle (Nye Occomore) in the hope that Linnet will employ Simon on her new estate. Eight weeks later we discover that the cruise down the Nile is now also a honeymoon cruise – however not for the couple we would expect! Simon has married Linnet, and the happy couple are being stalked by Simon’s ex-fiancé, hounded by Linnet’s trustee, Annabelle Pennington (Helen Katamba) and their marriage is doubted by the rest of the group. As the boat sets sail up the river Nile, against an exotic backdrop of palm trees and crocodiles, the relationships between the passengers unfold before the audiences’ eyes, resulting in a shocking murder, which appears unsolvable! Can Hercule Poirot ascertain the truth, solving the murder before the boat sets sail on its return journey?
The staging, whilst simplistic at first glance, is extremely effective and versatile. The main staging consisted of wooden slatted doors, which glided seamlessly across the stage, and railings to depict the two levels on the steamer boat, showing the separation between the bedrooms and the communal areas of the boat. This was enhanced by the inclusion of tables, chairs and beds as the scenes required. Lighting was also used to great effect in harmony with the staging, highlighting key areas of interest throughout the performance, and enhancing the darker and more sinister themes within the storyline.
Overall, this was a thrilling and outstanding performance, that exceeded my expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed the show with all of the actors executing their roles to perfection! This show is definitely one not to miss and I highly recommend it!!