Death on the Nile – Festival Theatre

The acclaimed Agatha Christie is adapted once more as Death on the Nile comes to Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre. Written by Ken Ludwig and directed by Lucy Bailey, this murder mystery production is sure to have you guessing ‘whodunnit?’ right up to the closing moments.

On a luxurious Egyptian cruise, Hercule Poirot (Mark Hadfield) endeavors to have a peaceful break from his usual detective role. However, in true Christie fashion, it isn’t long before a brutal murder takes place and, of course, everyone is a suspect. Stuck on a boat in the middle of the Nile, Poirot aims to solve the case. With long buried secrets floating to the surface, will Poirot be able to find the killer?

Hadfield, who plays the world famous detective, is truly a joy to watch. His portrayal feels original yet still filled with the class charisma and directness associated with the likes of David Suchet. From the moment the curtain rises, Hadfield draws the audience into another exciting murder mystery. He has expert comedic timing while also shining in Poirot’s more emotional and dramatic moments. It seems as though Hadfield was born to play this classic character.

Another standout role is that of Libby Alexandra-Cooper, who plays Linnet Ridgeway. Alexandra-Cooper brings such strong vocal energy to her role and really inserts herself to the forefront of the action. Despite playing a character of questionable morals, she does gather the support and sympathy from the audience. Moreover, Esme Hough in the role of Jacqueline De Bellfort, arguably Linnet’s dramatic counterpart, showcases a strong emotional presence throughout the whole piece that never falters.

A strong element of this adaptation is its scene transitions. Often, a production of this level and scale can struggle moving between scenes but Death on the Nile does this seamlessly. Assisted by the ensemble, and set design from Mike Britton, all elements of the piece work perfectly in tandem. Transitions are efficient and allow the audience to stay fully invested in the story. It is clear that director, Lucy Bailey, has really considered this often lacking feature in large-scale productions of this calibre.

Furthermore, despite being an adaptation of a classic tale, Ludwig’s version still felt original and was entertaining. In a time where so many theatres choose known IPs to save taking a risk on new work, it was refreshing to watch a known story that genuinely flowed well and was expertly paced. It never felt like scenes where there was filler to draw out reveals – which is a regular occurrence of this genre – and every character felt fleshed out and interesting.

Death on the Nile is an example of murder mystery done right. Keeping you guessing until the last minute and filled with interesting characters, it really is a gripping play. But who is the killer? You’ll just have to watch and find out!

Death on the Nile runs until March 28th and tickets are available at https://www.capitaltheatres.com/shows/death-on-the-nile/

Reviewer: Dylan Mooney

Reviewed: 24th March 2026

North West End UK Rating: