REVIEW: On the 50th anniversary of the death of Agatha Christie a new play reimagines one of her greatest books at Chichester Festival Theatre

In the first half of the 20th century, Egypt and the Nile had never fascinated the British public more. In 1922 the archaeologist Howard Carter had discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun filled with an astonishing and priceless array of treasures.

For Agatha Christie, the discovery was to prove of particular interest. Eight years later she married another archaeologist Max Mallowan and spent many years on foreign ‘digs’ together – which had a huge influence on many of her novels.

Death on the Nile, first published in 1937, is probably the most celebrated of them all.

On the surface the plot is straightforward. Wealthy heiress falls in love with her poor friend’s fiancee and is determined to have him herself. She marries him and they embark on a honeymoon on the Nile.

Meanwhile the friend stalks them both. Death is not far behind.

A host of other guests – each with their own reasons for murder – complicate proceedings.

But where there is motive there is no opportunity.

So whodunnit? And how?

Fortunately Hercule Poirot (Mark Hadfield) is among those on board and he slowly pieces together one of Christie’s most complex and ingenious conundrums.

Hadfield neither seeks to emulate David Suchet or Peter Ustinov – both of whom have played out the same storyline. Instead, he shapes a Poirot who is as distinctive as he is true to many readers’ vision of the great Belgium detective.

This adaptation is light of touch with plenty of humour but it remains true to the core themes of the book.

Good fun all round and nothing to disappoint fans of the greatest mystery writer of all time. A great start to the 50th anniversary.