Cruise to Death

Last Friday, Santa Monica College (SMC) premiered the play “Murder on the Nile,” directed by Adrianne Harrop. The play is based on the novel “Death on the Nile” by Agatha Christie, who also wrote this adaptation for the stage.

The story takes place on a cruise journeying along the Nile River in 1930s Egypt. The cruise begins leisurely enough, only to be interrupted by a murder, with everyone as a suspect. During the story, the audience learns about the characters and their personal secrets.

Justin Valine, who plays Simon Mostyn, shared that he learned a lot during the process of working on this project. He highlighted the knowledge about 1930s lifestyle, how people used to talk and dress up.

Valine expressed satisfaction when talking about his relationships with his castmates. He said that they were all very supportive and respectful towards each other.

“Working with my castmates has been pretty good for this show. There was no drama or anything like that,” he said. “We all had the same goal, and since we all had the same goal, we kind of formed this energy to work together and create something beautiful.”

The show is produced by the staff, faculty, and students from SMC and offers the audience a tense narrative full of drama, romance, comedy, and mystery.

“I think people should come to watch it because it’s thrilling, it’s exciting, it’s beautiful, the way that it will transport you back to the late 1930s,” Valine said. “You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and hopefully you’ll be amazed once the murder mystery is revealed.”

Performances are held at SMC’s Theatre Arts Main Stage at the main SMC campus.

“Murder on the Nile” runs for one more weekend, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 4.

Tickets can be bought online and at the door. The prices are $15 for General Admission, $13 for seniors and $10 for SMC students, faculty and staff.