MURDER ON THE NILE at the Masque Theatre is a journey of love, loss, revenge

Agatha Christie's best-selling novel Death on the Nile has spawned several film adaptations, most recently Kenneth Branagh's 2022 version of the modern classic. Less well known, however, is that Christie personally adapted Death on the Nile for the stage, renaming it Murder on the Nile. One of the most notable changes is that beloved detective Hercule Poirot is missing from the stage adaptation. As a huge Christie fan, I'm disappointed by the author's decision to cut my favorite detective from one of my favorite Christie stories, but that's beside the point.

Christie fans should therefore be warned that MURDER ON THE NILE, although similar in content to the novel of the same name, is not an exact copy and should therefore be enjoyed as a standalone work.

Directed by Barbara Basel, this crime thriller is set on a barge crossing the Nile. The cast of 13 did a solid job and delivered some truly outstanding performances. As always, an Agatha Christie play is an ensemble work and requires a solid team effort to be successful.

My problems with the production are not with the acting or the direction, but with the text itself. I find Christie's decision to put the murder at the end of the first act odd, as the action drags a little in the first act, leaving little time in the second act to speed up the detective work needed to solve the case.

As I said, the acting is strong. Lara Fouche is excellent as Kay Ridgeway, a seductive if somewhat pretentious heiress. Everything about Fouche's performance is convincing – from her languid gestures to her polished tone. She proves herself to be a versatile actress and delivers a completely different performance to her role in RAPUNZEL earlier this year.

Sarah-Kate Bergstedt is brilliant – she's a stunner from the moment she steps on stage. She plays Jacqueline de Severac, Simon Mostyn's former fiancée, now married to her former best friend Kay. Bergstedt's performance is sizzling and the malice she feels towards Kay and Simon is immediately apparent. I was equally impressed by her ability to portray states of intoxication, which is really difficult – her performance was believable without being over the top. She is excellent and her range is impressive.

Simon Mostyn plays Timothy Wolfaardt, Kay's husband and Jacqueline's former fiancé. Wolfaardt plays the devoted newlywed well, commanding many of his scenes from his armchair. Yet his performance is not static.

And what would a crime thriller be without its brilliant detective? Wayne Ronné plays the prudent Canon Pennefather, a clergyman and Kay's uncle. Ronné portrays the detective skillfully. His performance is measured, restrained and has a wide range. He knows how to create drama and slowly build up the tension.

There are a lot of great accents in this production. Kendal Conradie's portrayal of the German Dr. Ludwig Bessner in particular is fantastic. His German accent is flawless and the little quirks he brings to his performance are hilarious. I really enjoyed watching him. He just needs to work on his volume sometimes.

I also enjoyed Christine Swanepoel's portrayal of the cheeky Louise, Kay's maid. Her French accent is funny and mostly very good.

Su Cunningham is hilarious as the nightmarish Helen Ffoliot-Foulkes. Cunningham, a bossy, class-obsessed snob, gives a superb performance that makes us roll our eyes at how self-righteous the character is. This is the character we “love to hate” on the show.

Roux Nel plays the charming Christina Grant, Helen's competent and obedient niece. Her performance is subtle and endearing.

William Smith, played by Matthew dos Santos, is a character I can't quite get my head around. Dos Santos' performance is good, if a little unbalanced. The character is irritable, sometimes unnecessarily aggressive, like an angsty teenager. But I think the unbalance is due to the exaggerated rudeness with which Christie wrote this character, rather than Smith's interpretation. Despite Smith's moroseness, we root for him (at least I did).

I loved Sfiso Nkosi as the nonchalant Captain McNaught. His dry one-liners provide some hilarious moments and do a great job of breaking the tension.

The show also includes singing by Nawaal Howa and belly dancing by Zia Kingwell-Cloete and Julia Nowichi. I really enjoyed Howa's singing, which captures the time period as well as the atmosphere of live singing on a barge. It is atmospheric, as is the dancing that opens the show.

The production is effective in that no changes to the set are required. This ensures that there is no loss of pace. We are in the lounge of the luxury yacht that our travelers are on. I particularly like the side section of the stage that shows part of the deck – every set on a ship needs a deck. Where else could the characters stare dramatically into the distance? Kudos to set designer Daniella Mizrachi.

I also really enjoyed Faeron Wheeler's visual effects, cleverly displayed in the background of the stage, creating the illusion that we are on a moving boat traveling through Egypt.

Finally, I have to comment on the costumes – they are absolutely beautifulWell done Nicky Enticott – she did an excellent job with all the elaborate outfits.

If you are a crime fan, come on board MURDER ON THE NILE. As long as you expect some deviations from the plot of DEATH ON THE NILE, you will surely have a killer Time.

MURDER ON THE NILE runs from 23 to 31 August 2024 at the Masque Theatre. Tickets cost between 120 and 150 Rand.

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