Hercule Poirot sleuths again in Agatha Christie’s Death On The Nile! This classic murder-mystery, adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig and directed by Lucy Bailey, brings a small corner of Egypt to The Alexandra this week, as Poirot is once again called upon to solve a seemingly unsolvable crime.

The plot is classic Christie. A disparate group is thrown together by chance - the young lovers, an aging actor, the Egyptologist and his doctor son, a socialite mother and daughter, a retired MI5 agent, a wealthy heiress, and of course, the world-famous detective. They meet first at the British Museum and then, some weeks later, on a ship cruising along the River Nile. A holiday in the heart of Egypt is a seemingly idyllic, sunny and relaxing setting, but naturally, below the surface, tension, hatred, resentment and a desire for vengeance are bubbling away, just waiting to explode. Snide asides and hints of past injustice indicate that all is not well - and then the unthinkable happens: glamorous and attention-seeking Linnet Ridgeway (Libby Alexandra-Cooper) is shot as she sleeps.

In true Christie fashion, almost everybody is under suspicion...

The cast is superb, and Mark Hadfield doesn’t shy away from playing Poirot for laughs. To see the lighter side of the habitually serious sleuth is delightful, even more so when he strikes up something of a comedy double-act with Colonel Race (Bob Barrett). Glynis Barber is a beautifully over-the-top socialite - the improbably named Salome Otterbourne - who tails the somewhat pompous thespian Septimus Troy (Terence Wilton) in the hopes of furthering her own acting ambitions.

The other characters are similarly expertly portrayed and, as a whole, create a compelling drama that features everything from moments of laugh-out-loud humour to breathtaking shock.

An original and somewhat quirky set is the perfect backdrop to the unfolding tale. Clever use of sliding screens creates a series of different settings, from the austere Egyptian rooms of the British Museum to the warm and inviting deck of a Nile cruise ship, bathed in soft light and exotic appeal.

Providing a wonderfully fresh take on a vintage Christie yarn - without losing any of its original charm - this latest version of Death On The Nile makes for an evening of classic tale-weaving and outstanding drama which is not to be missed.

Five stars

Death On The Nile was reviewed by Rachel Smith on Tuesday 7 April at Birmingham’s The Alexandra, where it shows until Saturday 11 April