Murder, mystery, a slew of suspicious characters and a fair share of humor make Houston’s hot summer days a little more chilling for theatergoers. Death flowed into the Alley Theatre by way of the exotic Nile River in the ExxonMobil Summer Chills production of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile.
Happy newlyweds Simon (Chris Hutchison) and Kay Mostyn (Christian Corp) head off on their honeymoon, but their enjoyment – and Kay’s life – is cut short. Following the couple is Jacqueline De Severac (Elizabeth Bunch), Simon’s former fiancÈe. The two were in love, but sorely lacking money. Jackie’s exceptionally rich best friend, however, agreed to set Simon up with a job so the two could be married. But when Simon met the generous patron he fell in love with her and ditched dirt-poor Jackie to marry her friend. Jackie, unable to give up her love, follows the young couple across the world, threatening them with her presence and her gun.
When Jackie boards the cruise ship the Mostyn’s are taking to Egypt, the three become trapped on the vast Nile River together and are forced to face their grim state of affairs. Kay and Simon manage to accept Jackie’s presence, while Jackie handles the situation by getting tanked and crooning songs about vindictive lovers who murder the man that did them wrong.
But the threesome is not alone in their messy situation, and their troubles only get worse.
When Kay is found murdered in her bed, each of the accompanying characters rightfully becomes a suspect. Was it Jackie, who on more than one occasion stated that she would kill one half of the happy pair; Miss ffoliot-ffoulkes (Annalee Jefferies), who drips with money and malice; her naive young niece Christina Grant (Elizabeth Heflin); the loud-mouthed traveler Smith (Todd Waite), who resents the wealthy and often speaks of a worker uprising; Dr. Bessner (Jeffrey Bean), who, to Miss ffoliot-ffoulkes’ disgust, is a foreigner whose home town saw the corrupt dealings of Kay’s father; Canon Pennefather (John Tyson), a priest looking to spread his religious convictions with the help of Kay’s money; or was it the Mostyn’s suspicious French maid Louise (Melissa Pritchett) who found her domineering mistress dead?
The production of this twisted tale is everything a good murder mystery should be: suspenseful, full of plot twists and captivating characters and entertaining to watch. Mysteries always have the potential to be over-the-top, but the cast handled their roles perfectly.
Elizabeth Bunch steals the show in her portrayal of the jaded Jackie, who, in mere minutes goes from being in tears over her lost love, to a fit of rage and then back to tears. Although she’s harassing a newly married couple, you can’t help but love her, especially when she’s clad in a gold ball gown with a glass of liquor, singing louder as her anger builds and demanding more drinks.
Not only are the actors impressive, the Alley’s stage production and costuming rounds off the intriguing story and cast. The stage is transformed into an old-fashioned cruise ship, complete with full carpeting and windows that overlook the water. Although the set never changes, the details and events taking place on it keep you drawn to the stage. Costume designer Alejo Vietti clad the characters in 1920s-era clothing, and matched the swanky lounge of the ship in their tuxedos and gowns.
Many of the eccentric characters have equally eccentric foreign accents. But rather than catching the audience’s attention by sounding awkward and out of place, the speech sounds comfortable for the actors, who were coached in dialect by Jim Johnson. It’s the attention to these details that makes the play work: a grandiose story would come off as unbelievable without them.
But, ultimately, it’s that grandiose story the audience will remember. As is the case with any mystery, the surprise ending can’t be revealed, but take this advice: when you think you have it figured out, don’t tell anyone – you’ll save yourself the embarrassment when you find out you were entirely wrong.
Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile runs through July 29 on the Alley Theatre’s Hubbard Stage. Tickets are $19, $25 or $29. For more information, visit www.alleytheatre.org.
