On an Egyptian paddle steamer in the 1950s, heiress Kay Mostyn boards with her new husband Simon. Stalked by Simon’s ex-fiancée, and joined by a colourful cast of other passengers with dark motives, their honeymoon quickly becomes a nightmare, in this gripping murder mystery play from the Genesian Theatre Company.
Death on the Nile is among Agatha Christie’s best known novels, adapted multiple times into film, television and radio formats. This streamlined theatre adaptation, Murder on the Nile, was written by Christie herself.
All action is cleverly staged in a single room aboard the paddle steamer. Set designer Gregory George has done a stellar job constructing a versatile set, with dynamic backdrops, windows, stairs and tables used to their fullest by the actors. The imposing centrepiece is a huge statue of Anubis, the Egyptian God of the Underworld, as Director Theo Hatzistergos puts it, “influencing characters whilst foreshadowing murder”. This inspired choice, combined with Cian Byrne’s well-appointed lighting choices, lends a mythological grandeur to proceedings and makes the finale all the more devastating.
The cast was fantastic all around. David Stewart-Hunter plays the sleuth Canon Pennefather, a clerical analogue of Hercule Poirot, whom Agatha Christie was said to be tired of when she penned this play. Pennefather is a worthy replacement, and is played with entertaining gravitas by Stewart-Hunter. Other standouts in the cast were Emma Burns as the hapless target of everyone’s ire Kay, Hunter Smith as the complex fiancée Simon Mostyn, and Izzy Azzopardi as the jealous and unstable Jaqueline. And veteran Genesian player Sandra Bass often stole the show as the uptight and snobby Miss Ffoliot-ffoukes.
This will sadly be one of the last plays that the Genesian company will perform at its iconic Kent St location before they move to new digs in Rozelle. Director Theo Hatistergos and all the cast and crew have put on an exciting, highly entertaining production worthy of the location’s legacy. Well recommended for a great night out at the theatre.
Murder on the Nile is at Genesian Theatre 420 King Street, Sydney until 21 September 2024
Paul Kiely
For more of Paul Kiely’s writings on theatre, check out Absolute Theatre
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- Sherlock Holmes and the Ripper Murders (Genesian) – theatre review
- Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap (John Frost for Crossroads Live) – theatre review
- William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (Abridged) – theatre review
Paul Kiely reviews shows in Sydney for www.absolutetheatre.com.au. He joined the team in 2018.