Nile is Murder on Whodunit Fans

By Michelle Thompson
News Leader Pictorial, April 11, 2007

Maybe it was the snooty, self-absorbed Miss ffoliot-ffoulkes. Or perhaps gold-digging commoner Simon Mostyn pulled the trigger. Or maybe the erratic and hot-headed Jacqueline de Severac ended the life of stunning and incredibly wealthy heiress Kay Mostyn.

Indeed, all aboard a river-steamer bound for Egypt had their reasons for wanting young Kay Mostyn dead. And with running themes of greed, deception and inequality rippling throughout Murder on the Nile, pegging a suspect would be enough to give Sherlock Holmes a run for his money.

When the Agatha Christie play debuted at the Chemainus Theatre last Thursday, it began slowly but picked up speed once the ship left the dock and began sailing toward some seriously rocky water.

The story, set in the 1950s, unfolds in the common area of a ship occupied by an eclectic cast of characters. When each character boards, they bring with them a motive -- some subtle, others not - for wanting one of the passengers dead.

Kay Mostyn (played by Krista J. Konkin) is a newlywed woman of means who, although demanding and spoiled, is difficult to dislike.

Konkin does a bang-up job of teetering the fine line between megalomania and naivete and, with her character tottering more-so on the latter, her self-indulgences are almost charming. Of course, as demonstrated by the bullet lodged in her head, someone clearly failed to find the charm in Mostyn's narcissistic ways.

Not since The Simpson's episode Who Shot Mr. Burns has an audience been forced to weed through such an array of suspects in this head-scratcher of a whodunit mystery.

There are nine suspects in all and, in a play chock-full of paranoia and secrets, any one could pass as the chief suspect.

A number of elements in this play make it an event to kill for. Unpredictable characters, sub-plots, twists, turns - and even the odd gunshot ringing through the audience - were enough to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

Taking into account all of the elements, the journey on the Nile was the furthest thing from smooth sailing. After all, death and deception have a way of rocking the boat.

The play as a whole, however, was about as close to smooth sailing as you can get.

So who killed Kay Mostyn?

You're going to have to drop by the Chemainus Theatre to find out. The play runs until May 17. It reopens on June 26 and Sept. 26.

Solid Cast Cruises the Nile
Chemainus Theatre dusts off Agatha Christie classic for extended run

By Adrian Chamberlain
Times Colonist, April 7, 2007

What: Murder on the Nile
Where: Chemainus Theatre
When: To May 12, reopens June 26 to Sept. 15
Rating: 3(out of five)

When it comes to British high-society types bickering elegantly, I'd rather see a play by wit-master Noel Coward than Agatha Christie, the diligent mystery-maker. But then, murder mysteries are not a particular favourite of mine, so those who adore this genre might want to pencil an extra star onto this review.

This production, continuing on and off at the Chemainus Theatre Festival until Sept. 15, is sympathetically directed and boasts a solid cast who'll gel further as the summertime run progresses. What bogs down Murder on the Nile is a long Act I exposition and a curious feeling of deflation in the second act. Still, this whodunit contains its share of surprises, and even those uninterested in murder puzzles will appreciate the stylish costumes and a dog's breakfast of eccentric characters.

The play is based a 1937 novel. However, for the stage version, Christie dropped her book's hero, famed detective Hercule Poirot. Instead, the emphasis shifts to the ensemble, including rich newlyweds Simon and Kay Mostyn, innocent Christina Grant, jaded cool-guy William Smith and a somewhat shady clergyman called Pennefather. Their genteel tour of the Nile is enlivened by the arrival of Jacqueline de Severac, who was jilted by Simon and became a crazed stalker.

What ensues is a jolly evening of cocktail-swigging, cigarette-puffing (herbal, naturally), enthusiastic bickering and the occasional shooting. The script has the potential to seem dated. These caricatured characters might have stepped out of a game of Clue, and the style of melodrama favoured by Christie has been parodied so often as to seem tired by today's standards.

Other theatre companies sidestep this problem by making Murder on the Nile an exercise in campy silliness. Director Jeremy Tow has embraced a more subtle and clever approach. Aware an absolute send-up would sap the show of depth, he has encouraged the cast to adopt a moderately heightened acting style that avoids going over the top and into the murky depths of the Nile River.

The actors seemed almost to luxuriate in their roles -- especially at the beginning -- by having fun with accents (done well) and the boldness with which the characters are drawn.

This mystery takes some time to set up -- a function, perhaps, of boiling down an entire novel to a show lasting only two hours with intermission.

Oddly, on Thursday night, it all seemed to be building up to something terrific, only to settle to a curious flatness as bullet-hole-riddled scarves, revolvers and steadily accumulating cadavers were discussed and examined. There are no whip-lash plot developments as the denouement looms, and I figured out whodunit (if you knew my track record on this, you'd realize this is not a good sign).

Whether the deflation is a problem with script or actors is difficult to figure -- likely both. The only obvious misstep I noticed was the fact some characters took the news of the first death in a bizarrely matter-of-fact way, as though learning their Bentley had been ticketed or something.

Still, the play's curtain was greeted with cheers, and it was obvious the audience enjoyed the show.

Standouts include Leon Willey (William Smith), who could be Robert Downey Jr.'s long lost brother and employs a similar snide charm -- at times bordering on the obnoxious. Sylvie Gosse is well cast as ingenue Christina, although the character's steps toward maturity might be more clearly delineated. Mark DuMez is quite strong as Simon Mostyn, yet I'd like to see more of a contrast between the wily fellow's public face and dark side (ditto for Lisa Waines as stalker Jacqueline de Severac).

Norma Bowen has scads of fun with the costumes, and this is a good thing, since the beige set is bland. Many outfits are splendid -- ostentatious yet attractive. For my money, the blood-red man-hole-cover-sized hat Kay Mostyn (Krista J. Konkin) makes her entrance in is worth the price of admission.

Music is used well -- little string swells and pizzicato violins underline dramatic tension without adding unnecessary exclamation marks. The lighting, often an autumnal mix of late afternoon sun and shadows, adds atmosphere as well.