AGATHA CHRISTIE’S DEATH ON THE NILE IS COMING TO THE MARLOWE THEATRE IN CANTERBURY

Mark Hadfield is set to step into the role of Agatha Christie’s famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, in a new touring stage production of Death on the Nile.

The tour, which comes to Canterbury for five nights, reunites writer Ken Ludwig and director Lucy Bailey, known for their sell-out adaptations of And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express.

Mark, who has worked in film and TV, is best known for his stage roles, which range from Shakespearean plays to The Lion King.

He follows in the footsteps of actors such as David Suchet, Kenneth Branagh and Albert Finney, who have all played the role of Poirot in the past.

“He is such an iconic character that everyone has their own version of what they think he should be like,” says Mark. “The challenge is to try and incorporate people’s expectations but also to bring in a few surprises

“I’m not expecting people to say ‘Oh my God, that was the most original Poirot I’ve ever seen’ by giving him a punk hairdo or what have you. But I hope to find that balance of pleasing people while leaving them going ‘We haven’t seen that before!’.”

Set on board a luxurious 1930s cruise along the Nile, the story follows an idyllic honeymoon that is shattered by a brutal murder, leaving detective Poirot to uncover the truth.

Director Lucy Bailey, who is tackling her fifth Christie adaptation, believes audiences are increasingly drawn to whodunnits.

“There’s something very reassuring about the fact that the person who’s committed the crime is going to be found out and the world will make sense in the end,” she says.

“There’s a sense of despair in our culture and in our hearts at what’s going on in the world. When you go to the theatre, though, you are plunged into something where there’s going to be a solution and a resolution. I think that’s why audiences are so drawn to thrillers, mysteries and whodunnits now more than ever.”

Death on the Nile will be at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury from Tuesday, January 20 to Saturday, January 24. You can book online here.

You can also book by calling 01227 787787.

2026-01-10T05:19:52Z