Agatha Christie's MURDER ON THE NILE At Clayton Community Theatre, May 25- June 4

Clayton Community Theatre will conclude its 24th season with Murder on the Nile by the great mystery writer Agatha Christie, directed by Nada Vaughn.

Performances of Murder on the Nile are Thursday-Sunday, May 25-June 4, 2023 (8:00 pm Thurs-Sat; 2:00 pm Sun) at Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Rd, Clayton MO 63117. Tickets: $15-$25 (discounts for season tickets, group sales, seniors and students) - available via SimpleTix, or from CCT online at www.placeseveryone.org or by phone at 314-721-9228. Financial assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

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Love, money, meddling, politics, betrayal, and violence are all on the itinerary in this international whodunit romp, Murder on the Nile, by master of mystery Agatha Christie. Heiress Kay Mostyn and her new husband, Simon, relish having it all: youth, good looks and wealth. They embark on their grand honeymoon journey down the Nile River for a euphoric start to their new life together. But things quickly become very complicated, and nothing is quite as it seems.

The newlywed pair are beset by constant interference on their trip. The groom's former (and jilted) fiancée - who is also the bride's former best friend - is following them, boldly and intrusively, every step of the way. In addition, it seems that several other outspoken and colorful passengers know the newlyweds and harbor ill will against them.

In classic Christie style, once murder and mayhem occur, the author dares you to discover the whodunit and the why before the end of the tale - no easy task here. In fact, if you see this ending coming you probably should be writing your own murder mysteries.

"Mystery is one of my favorite genres of literature, and I'm a longtime fan of Agatha Christie," says Nada Vaughn, director of Murder on the Nile. "I'm thrilled to have an extremely talented cast for this production. They are full of energy and creativity and have what it takes to make an ensemble piece like this work. And I think our set is going to be spectacular and do full justice to the story locations."

The play Murder on the Nile is based on Christie's 1937 novel, "Death on the Nile." It was first produced in Scotland in 1944 at the Dundee Repertory Theatre, under the title Hidden Horizon, and in 1946 had its London premiere at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End.

Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was born in Torquay, England and authored 66 detective novels and 30 plays, including the world's longest-running play, The Mousetrap. She created the iconic crime-solving characters Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. Christie retains the status of best-selling novelist of all time, her books having sold more than one billion copies in the English language, and another billion in translation.

Director Nada Vaughn has a lifelong involvement in theatre and music as performer, director, educator, producer and manager. Vaughn has a penchant for mysteries, and Murder on the Nile is the third Agatha Christie play she has directed for CCT (the first two were The Unexpected Guest in 2014 and Black Coffee in 2012). Vaughn's directing work for CCT also includes A Soldier's Play in 2019, Night Must Fall by Emlyn Williams in 2016, and three plays by August Wilson: The Piano Lesson in 2015, Two Trains Running in 2017 and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom in 2021. Vaughn has been a CCT Board Member since 2006 and served as President from 2007-2011.

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