Death on the Nile – The Alexandra, Birmingham

Writer: Agatha Christie

Adaptor: Ken Ludwig

Director: Lucy Bailey

It’s a classic whodunnit setup: a small number of people are aboard the Karnak, a Nile paddle steamer, when one of their number is murdered in her bed; the murderer must be one of their number, but everyone has an alibi.

Agatha Christie wrote the book of the same name at the height of her powers; it was published in 1937 and has since spawned two films and a TV adaptation. And now this stage adaptation by Ken Ludwig, directed with a sure hand by Lucy Bailey.

As the play opens, Poirot observes a clearly besotted young couple on a London street. The lighting for this short scene is harsh and monochromatic, bringing to mind the films noir of the 1940s and 1950s. Later, we’re at the British Museum: a sarcophagus has been on loan from Egypt and is shortly to be returned. There’s a glamorous party thrown for donors who made the loan possible. These same people will accompany it on the Karnak some eight weeks later.

Here, we discover that the couple observed by Poirot are Simon Doyle and Jacqueline de Bellefort. They’re desperate to marry, but Simon is somewhat impecunious, so Jackie begs her rich socialite friend, Linnet Ridgeway, to employ him as estate manager. Instantly smitten, Linnet agrees.

Eight weeks later, the same group is now on board the Karnak, with a significant difference: after a whirlwind romance, Simon and Linnet are married. His discarded lover, Jackie, has taken to stalking them on their honeymoon across Europe, much to Linnet’s upset. And when Linnet is murdered in her bed, suspicion shifts to Jackie, but her alibi is solid. Fortunately, Poirot is on hand, although initially his investigations serve only to confirm that motives for her murder abound, as do solid alibis, until, of course, the little grey cells work their magic and the truth is revealed.

One problem for stage adaptors is that crucial scenes play out simultaneously in the boat’s saloon, on the walkways connecting it to the cabins, and inside the cabins. Designer Mike Britton has created a multi-level set that allows us to peep into all of these places at once, while sweeping us from the British Museum to the various locations on the Karnak. His costume design is absolutely on point too, giving a glamorous, interwar feel to proceedings, and subtly highlighting the moods and personalities of the principal characters. While the stage set is pretty static, the impression of being on a boat is heightened by rippling lighting effects from Oliver Fenwick and the soundscape of Mic Pool.

Mark Hadfield has big shoes to fill as Poirot: any actor stepping into the role will inevitably be compared to those who have gone before. In fact, Hadfield makes this Poirot his own. From the first time we glimpse him on that London street, there is no one else he could be. His costume, demeanour, movement and mannerisms fit the dapper Belgian perfectly, even if his accent occasionally wanders. This Poirot shows a range of emotions: despair at the evil he uncovers, occasional outbursts of rage even, but also genuine humour, with a twinkle in his eye, in his discussions with his friend, Colonel Race (Bob Barrett), as well as an empathy with passengers who feel wronged.

Barrett’s Colonel Race provides much of the humour, making him an altogether more three-dimensional character than most of Poirot’s foils. The mood is further lightened by the burgeoning romance between social butterfly Salome Otterbourne – played with glee by Glynis Barber – and heavyweight actor Sir Septimus Troy (Terence Wilton), as well as that between Salome’s daughter, Rosalie (Camilla Anvar), and the son of the rather ineffectual museum curator and newly qualified doctor, Ramses Praed (Nicholas Prasad). Prasad is gloriously awkward in his dealings with Anvar, even as he opens up about his relationship with his father.

Libby Alexandra‑Cooper brings us a Linnet who is spoiled and self-centred. Her descent into paranoia as Jackie stalks the couple is well painted; her harder, more businesslike side with her financial aide, Annabelle Pennington, however, doesn’t seem to sit quite as well with her character. Nye Occomore’s Simon is torn between the two women in his life, and how he has betrayed one for the other. Occomore captures his weaknesses of character well. Esme Hough’s Jackie is a woman permanently on the edge: one is never sure how she will react as she deals with the situation she finds herself in.

With assured performances, evocative design and just enough wit amid the darkness, Death on the Nile proves smooth sailing for Poirot’s little grey cells, steering us stylishly downstream to a thoroughly satisfying solution.

Runs until 11 April 2026 and on tour