DEATH ON THE NILE AT THE ARTS THEATRE

Photograph by Manuel Harlan

Esme Hough, Nye Occomore and Libby Alexandra- Cooper-Stunning photographs by Manuel Harlan

  The creative team, headed by Director Lucy Bailey, deserves heaps of credit in this polished production of an Agatha Christie favourite. The subtle changes to script – more humour - the on -board boat glamour along with a superb cast, transform a 1930s classic into a contemporary night out

Glynis Barber as Salome Otterbourne

Agatha Christie thought Death on the Nile  was her’ best travel story ‘ and the production at the Arts is, streets ahead of its often-dreary rivals. The Ken Ludwig interpretation turn a whodunnit into an ingenious extravagant show. He cleverly sloughs off the downbeat mannered style of Christie’s dialogue. Instead, we got an entertaining unserious but sincere drama.

Poirot was superb. Watch out David Suchet, Mark Hadfield had the audience in the palms of his cunning Belgian hands. With a nod at the Christie style he was also convincing, thoughtful and very philosophical, his pleas for love were for once sincere and credible. It all made for a more complicated play, with a warm heartedness that Agatha Christie sometimes misses.

All aboard the luxury boat 30s style

The set was instantly the star of the show, a steamer up the Nile, a journey Christie knew well from her teenage time in Egypt. where she “came out’ apparently. Without the layered space and the cheek-by-jowl rooms the intrigue simply could not happen. The plot was hard to crack and intriguing to follow.  Everyone was suspect. We meet the lively Jaqueline de Bellefort, Esme Hough, as she flings herself into the arms of handsome boyfriend Simon Doyle - Nye Occomore is the slightly reluctant beau who Jackie wants to develop into a high earning businessman. The moment they meet the melancholy heiress Linnet, a shimmeringly gorgeous Libby Alexander Cooper who survives her unwieldy name to convince us of her steely core below the glitz. As everyone boards the voyage out to Cairo, as Hercule predicts events go from romantic to perilous. There is a plethora a perfectly conceived persona to rival the love triangle. Septimus Troy played wonderfully by Terence Wilton gives an older actor to boom sonorously through his past triumphs on the stage with increasing despair he will never play Hamlet again “But he was meant to be a student!” wheedles Salome Otterbourne who introduces herself early on“ Not your real name of course’ snaps Septimus. He confesses his moniker is fanciful too .Glynis Barber lightens up every scene she is in “I like her” says Hercule Poirot “I hope she’s not the murderer”.

Ramses Praed with his father Atticus, Nicholas Prasad and Howard Gossington

Bob Barker is Hercule’s sidekick Colonel Rice, always a few beats behind Poirot’s perceptions. They become close to Holmes and Watson in appeal. And I loved Atticus Praed, the archetypal archaeologist. Never for an instant does actor Howard Gossington let you believe he could be anything other than a Museum Curator, he too has a revelation of his own over his son, Ramses (what else would a fanatical Egyptologist call his first-born?) Nicholas Prasad makes a great job of a difficult part as he scion of a devotee.

Canilla Anvar as Rosalie Otterbourne

Camilla Anvar conjures Rosalie Otterbourne into an Oscar Wilde style dutiful daughter – with a will of her own, and Annabelle Pennington makes a brilliant persistent scholar on-the-make, Helen Katamba gives a amusing but sinister character some real life.

Every character  on board has some interest and appeal . As you travel with them down the Nile, they only get more appealing. This is a splendid colourful and meticulously produced performance well worth a night out at the Arts – but do not reveal the dènoument as its mystery is, as ever ,part of the package.

Bob Barrett as Colonel Race

Helen Katamba as enigmatic Annabelle Pennintgon