CTC delivers twist on classic Christie mystery
If asked to name a few of the most influential detective writers of all time, you’re likely to think of English author Agatha Christie, and for good reason. From “Murder on the Orient Express” to “Endless Night”, Christie wrote more than 60 now-classic detective stories during the first half of the 20th century.
Almost any play based on the work of Agatha Christie could arguably be a good one; however, the Chattanooga Theatre Centre is going to make their production of “Murder on the Nile”, which opens Friday evening at 8 p.m., even more intriguing and exciting with a classic film noir twist.
“Murder on the Nile”, written in 1944, is Christie’s stage adaptation of her 1937 novel “Death on the Nile”. It tells the tale of nine passengers aboard the Lotus, a paddle steamboat chartered by English aristocrats, as it travels down the Nile River on a honeymoon voyage. In classic detective novel fashion, a mysterious tragedy occurs, and the fate of the passengers aboard the Lotus is no longer certain.
“It’s the Agatha Christie we know and love. A dramatic murder, several suspects that all have motives, casting shade, casting shadow, suspicion on each other, the ultimate reveal, and the whodunnit. We have that great reveal at the end,” guest director Courtenay Cholovich explained. “It’s a fast-moving show. There’s a lot in the language; there’s a lot of detail. Audiences will have a lot on their plate to keep up with. There’s a lot of really interesting details and nuances to relationships that are in [the show].”
This production is Cholovich’s directorial debut with the Theatre Centre, but she has acted and directed extensively in New York City. She starred in the Theatre Centre’s production of Agatha Christie’s “The Mysterious Affair at Styles” in 2018, so she’s familiar with Christie’s work on stage. She arrived at the idea of adding a film noir twist to this production primarily because of the characters’ use of language.
“The cadence and the style of the language…really fit in with what we think of as the classic 1940’s film noir style of performance. And I was really intrigued by that. I think it adds an extra layer of intrigue and mystery to it,” said Cholovich. “The entirety of the set and the costumes, lighting, everything is in grayscale, black and white, to reflect that. And we’re playing with shadow work, those contrasts between light and dark, you know. Thematically, it’s that constant balance between good and evil, wearing those shades of gray.”
When first reading through the script, Cholovich explained that she strives to see if anything about the characters or the language pops out at her, which is exactly what happened when she read through “Murder on the Nile”. It was also written in the midst of the film noir trend in America, which was a period from the 1920’s–50’s in which films were a bit more deviant, as characters had hidden agendas and sexual motives.
“Because the play is set in 1944, it’s right around the same noir period, so it really just fit perfectly, in my mind. And watching it unfold, I see it more and more with the actors. They really embody a stage version, obviously, because film acting is much different than stage acting,” said Cholovich. “But they’ve managed to embody both the presentational whodunnit style and the Agatha Christie murder mystery, with that characteristic, film noir experience. That really sharp, you know, accented words, with a lot of beats and rhythm. A lot of fast talkers and wise guys.”
The cast of ten started rehearsals in mid-March, giving them about eight weeks of rehearsal. “Murder on the Nile” is going to be performed in the Circle Theatre, in order to provide a more intimate murder mystery experience. Cholovich explained that the set gives the illusion of being larger than it actually is, which is important as the entirety of the show is set on the observation deck of the Lotus.
“Murder on the Nile” opens Friday night at 8 p.m. and runs through June 9, with evening shows Thursday through Saturday and Sunday matinee shows. Because Agatha Christie shows have been so popular at the Theatre Centre, the performance schedule has an additional week. Reservations are recommended as seating is limited.
Tickets are available online or by calling or visiting the Theatre Centre box office.
If you’ve ever wanted a chance to see one of Agatha Christie’s most famous works on stage, with a film noir twist that fits in perfectly with the murder mystery drama, then be certain to catch the CTC’s production of “Murder on the Nile”.