Death On The Nile At Milton Keynes Theatre Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Derrie Evans

Last night I had the pleasure of attending Death on the Nile, adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig and directed by Lucy Bailey. It was opening night at Milton Keynes Theatre in front of a good-sized audience. We arrived early and got a parking space with ease about 3-minute walk from the venue. Although the venue itself does not have a dedicated car park, parking after 6pm in Central Milton Keynes is free which is helpful. There is however a limited number of disabled spaces so if we had needed one, this may have been a challenge.

On arrival, the venue was clean, bright and welcoming. There was a good range of snacks and drinks at reasonable prices available before the show. There were also lots of places to eat around the venue and inside if needed. As usual with any event, the queue for toilets was unavoidable, despite some being available at each level of seating. There were a large number of cubicles though and it moved quickly. When people used the facilities during the interval, everyone we could see made it back in good time. The venue also offers a QR code system where you can order refreshments to be delivered to your seat. A great idea to avoid the challenge of trying to find your pre-order at the interval!

Staff were friendly and alert. Many people had brought drinks in glasses into the stalls but were sat in ends or the front row seats. These were quickly changed by the stewards, without a fuss of making anyone feel awkward.

Seat were comfortable, although the gap in railings to get to some seats were narrow. We managed ok but had to turn sideways to get in. The view was fabulous! As a more modern build theatre, restricted views are limited but special attention seems to have been paid to the angle of seating. Even with tall people in front of us, we had no issues which is not always the case.

The performance itself was witty, fast paced and well delivered. The speech of all the cast was clear and the volume sufficient to keep track of the storyline and goings on. There were a couple of moments of forgotten or muddled lines, however it was styled out and recovered from well. I am not sure those not paying very close attention would have even noticed.

Despite the seriousness of the plot involving death and deception, it also featured many numerous moments where the audience joined in out loud laughter. Lines delivered on point with the right balance of dry sarcasm, correct gesture at exactly the right time is no easy task. However, time and time again, the cast were on point. As a result, I found myself totally absorbed in the performance and consumed with the main question of just who did it?!? I have to admit, it kept me guessing until the end with any one of the main characters standing as guilty in my mind at any given time.

The construction and flexibility of the set was very clever. The use of two spilt levels worked brilliantly and the sliding screens with clever lighting created not only many different scenes, but also a completely different atmosphere and mood. This is not always easy in more modern theatres when an older set play take the stage but it was executed effortlessly.

There were times when I felt the lighting was too low. It made it difficult to pick up on the actor’s expressions and movements. We were in the stalls and felt this way, so I do worry those seated further back may have missed even more. The way in which both the cast and the ensemble members seamlessly moved items and set as part of the performance and during scenes was ingenious. Particularly in the last scene where chairs were moved in and out of the conversation by key characters. This not only assisted to move the set itself, but it also added to the unspoken display of who was in cohorts with who and the intrigue of who may be the guilty party.

The timings for the performance were clearly displayed as we entered the theatre. This were adhered to promptly and the show concluded with curtain down to a well deserved part standing ovation by 21:50. With a total running time of 120 minutes with a 20 minutes interval, it was well paced and felt about right for the storyline.

Leaving the venue was easy with plenty of staff to assist if needed. As always, the smaller doors created a bottle neck to the flow of people leaving, but nothing new or unexpected there. Overall, a good laugh, full of intrigue of mystery without over complication and I would highly recommend seeing it. All delivered in a great venue which we will certainly visit again.

Rating: 4/5
Death On The Nile is currently showing at the Milton Keynes Theatre, 500 Marlborough Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 3NZ from Tuesday 14th October until Saturday 18th October. Tickets are from £15 +£3.95 transaction fee. For more information or to book tickets visit 

https://www.miltonkeynes-theatre.co.uk/shows/milton-keynes-theatre/death-on-the-nile