Death on the Nile – Richmond Theatre

This is quintessential Agatha Christie. There’s murder, intrigue, a roomful of suspects, and that Belgian detective whose keen eyes miss nothing. Throw in some brilliant set design and beautiful period costume, and you have a charming little murder mystery unfolding on stage.

In this version of Death on the Nile – adapted by Ken Ludwig and directed by Lucy Bailey – an ancient sarcophagus that has been on display at the British Museum is being transported back to Egypt. On this cruise is an ensemble of travellers including benefactors of the museum, an Egyptologist, an MI5 agent, and Hercule Poirot.

Also present are the glamorous (and rich) Linnet Ridgeway, her new husband Simon Doyle, and to add drama, his ex-lover Jacqueline de Bellefort. Soon enough there is a smoking gun and a dead person in one of the boat’s cabins. Whether you already know how the tale ends or not, this production will keep you riveted.

Mark Hadfield makes for a delightful Poirot, a character that is not just a detective, but an observer, narrator and philosopher. Libby Alexandra-Cooper as Linnet has a commanding stage presence, and is excellently matched by Esme Hough who plays her rival Jacqueline.

Offering comic relief are Glynis Barber as novelist and budding actor Salome Otterbourne, and Terence Wilton as the aging star Septimus Troy who longs to play Hamlet or Romeo but instead has to learn how to twirl a gun for his role in a Western.

When there are as many characters as an Agatha Christie story is bound to have, you also have as many backstories to explain. Some of those are where the play occasionally loses pace, as also are Poirot’s monologues on love, hatred, and evil.

Mike Britton’s set design deserves a special mention. From the fire-lit interiors of a museum to a two-storied river boat complete with beautifully set cabins and saloons, he creates a world of opulence and glamour. The stage is further enhanced by Oliver Fenwick’s lighting and Mic Pool’s sound design, be it a peaceful night on the river or the chaos of murder.

The set comes most alive in the last scene when Poirot gathers everyone to reveal the culprit. As he recreates the evening of the murder, the panels slide this way and that to create the different rooms, chairs make way for canopied beds and side tables, the elements on stage all moving with a fluidity that is a visual treat.

Death on the Nile runs until 11th October at Richmond Theatre with tickets available at https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/richmond-theatre/

Reviewer: Savitha Venugopal

Reviewed: 8th October 2025

North West End UK Rating: