"Murder on the Nile"

October 30, 2018 — I had seen "Murder on the Nile" at the Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire seven years ago in 2011. It's currently being staged again at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse (the Winni) in Meredith, and I decided I had forgotten enough about this complicated Agatha Christie play to enjoy it again, so I high-tailed it to Meredith to take in this new production on Halloween night.

In my comments on the Barnstormers version, I criticized the play for the plodding first two of the three acts introducing characters and providing background essential to understanding this convoluted story. I felt the actors, with a little more passion, could have livened up these two acts. Things heated up in the third act at the Barnstormers. It was a tour de force with a stunning ending.

I could level the same criticism at the Winni, but their version never reached the crescendo in the third act that saved the Barnstormers production. Rick Morten was a standout as Pennefather, but couldn't quite match Scott Severance's portrayal of the same bombastic clergyman at the Barnstormers. Winni regular Barbara Webb was excellent as always as the cantankerous Miss ffoliot-ffoulkes. It's unfortunate she didn't have more time on-stage. In a play where many different accents had to be affected, Jennifer Schaffner's Scot was the best in her role as Miss ffoliot-ffoulkes' niece, Christina Grant. Otherwise, the accents combined with the inability of several of the actors to project their voices caused me to miss some dialog.

Other important roles were Delaney Andrews as Kay Mostyn, Frank Stetson II as her husband, Simon Mostyn, Maggie Godsoe as Jacqueline de Severac, Sasha Kuznetsova as Louise and Jim Gocha as Dr. Bessner. The large cast was filled out by Lynn T. Dadian, Patte Sarausky, Jim Rogato and Justin Elliott. Michael Cobb directed, Zach Glennon designed the excellent reception room of the steamer Lotus in which the entire play was set, and Doreen Sheppard designed the many costumes.

Maybe this play's short-comings weren't entirely the fault of the actors. In his review of the premier of "Murder on the Nile" in 1946, Bernard Buckham of the Daily Mirror wrote, "An Agatha Christie play, but a poor one. At this time of day such set-ups need to have character interest, ingenuity of plot and excitement. This piece falls down on them all."