January is set to be full of drama here at CFT and Death on the Nile, the latest Agatha Christie stage adaptation, will round off a month of captivating stories in the Festival Theatre. This gripping new production reunites writer Ken Ludwig and director Lucy Bailey, following their crowd-pleasing Murder on the Orient Express.

Set in the 1930s, Hercule Poirot is holidaying on a luxury steamer on the Nile in Egypt, when a couple’s idyllic honeymoon is cut short by a brutal murder. Read on to meet Mark Hadfield, Bob Barrett and Glynis Barber, three of the company embarking on this extraordinary cruise.

Mark Hadfield plays Christie’s inimitable detective, a role that has been played by many revered performers before, including Sir Kenneth Branagh and Michael Maloney. 'He is such an iconic character that everyone has their own version of what they think he should be like,' Hadfield muses. 'The challenge is to try and incorporate people's expectations but also to bring in a few surprises.'

Hadfield is hopeful that audiences for Death on the Nile will find it to be 'like opening a two-tray box of chocolates where you enjoy the first layer so much that you have to have the second layer too.' The story, he adds, is a mix of escapism with a timeless theme. 'It's gloriously evocative of travel in that time, but it's also about how we should nurture love and try to be as kind as we can. That's something we could learn from with everything that's going on at the moment.'

Colonel Race, Poirot's partner in crime-solving, is played by Bob Barrett, who is no stranger to Agatha Christie stage adaptations. This is Bob's third Christie whodunnit, after And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express. 'I love her stories because they're edgy and they go to dark places,' he says of why he keeps coming back for more, 'but there's something cosy and comfortable about them. This is my favourite out of all of them, because it's about love. It has such heart, which makes it all the more tragic.'

Death on the Nile is set in the 1930s but Barrett feels it remains timely. 'As I say, it's all about love, which makes it more intimate than the other Christies I've done. Poirot gives a wonderful speech at the end about how love is more important than hate, and that sentiment never goes out of date. There is nothing more universal and more profound than love. That's why I think this play will pull at the heartstrings and really have an effect on people who come to see it.'

Passengers on the steamer include flamboyant romance novelist Salome Otterbourne, played here by Glynis Barber, who teases, 'In the play, she's very different to how she is in the book and in the various films. And she's quite a character, which makes her fun to play. She is larger-than-life and she brings a lot of energy to the stage. She's the loudest, bubbliest and most theatrical character, that's for sure.'

Another draw for Barber was the team behind Death on the Nile. 'Lucy is a fabulous director and Fiery Angel is an amazing company. Plus this one hasn't been done on stage before in the UK, so that makes it exciting. The plots keep you guessing and they're a very good way to escape the world for a couple of hours. Who doesn't want a bit of that?'

Fans of the book and screen adaptations are in for a few surprises with this exciting new staging but can still expect the warm hug of escapism and charming characters they know and love. Death on the Nile comes to the Festival Theatre from 27 – 31 January 2026. Tickets selling fast, visit the show page to book now.