I think there’s a saying, “take a train, see life”, and the legendary Agatha Christie certainly embraced this idea for her novel Murder on the Orient Express, which features a cast of diverse characters stranded on the Orient Express thanks to a snowdrift. Inevitably, one of the group is murdered—in his berth with the door locked from the inside—and, despite only being on the train by chance as he makes his way home from a holiday, so begins celebrated Belgian detective Hercule Poirot’s quest to find out whodunit.
Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of Christie’s much-loved story premièred in the US in 2017, and came to the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2022. This production is now in the early stages of its first UK tour and is directed by Lucy Bailey, who has had previous success with Christie’s work, including Witness for the Prosecution and And Then There Were None.
Things get off to a great start with Poirot (Michael Maloney) enjoying pre-journey refreshments in a Turkish restaurant; the revolving stage enables him to observe the various characters as they too wait for their train.
Fairly large amounts of exposition are revealed as each passenger arrives at the first-class section of the Orient Express, some with luggage, some seemingly with none, to be greeted by Michel (Jean-Baptiste Fillon), the helpful concierge for the journey.
Mike Britton’s set design is quite something, as scenes depict the action either looking on from the train’s exterior or inside the carriage and individual berths as sections of the train separate and revolve. It is a pity that, at times, the whole manoeuvring of this complicated set seems cumbersome resulting in noticeably lengthy pauses.
However, the luxury of the Orient Express in its 1930s setting is nicely shown, along with the stunning costumes which add to the overall luxe effect.
Michael Maloney’s portrayal of Poirot picks up on his many familiar mannerisms and preening as he is recognised and celebrated by his “fans”. Some Poirot purists may not be quite so taken by some of his new quirks: embracing an old friend with a demonstrative hug, and some lascivious thoughts regarding one of the passengers; his customary restraint appears to have lapsed.
The cast of characters are otherwise pretty one-dimensional and stereotypical, although Christine Kavanagh has fun with the lion’s share of the good putdowns and humour as wealthy American widow Helen Hubbard. Some characters too lost depth and impact due to a lack of subtlety, with dialogue delivered as angry shouts, or sadness expressed with shoulder-heaving sobs.
However, Bailey certainly keeps the pace going well, and the final reveal and dénouement are nicely done as Poirot questions his whole approach to solving crime.
It felt to me like this play didn’t quite know what it wanted to be: serious murder mystery, Agatha Christie parody or straight adaptation from the classic novel as it moved from one to the other without any clear pattern. There are humorous moments and some amusing one-liners, but some of the more physical comedy didn’t quite work. So, much like the multi-segmented, onstage train carriage, this production is sumptuous and looks fantastic, but at times doesn’t seem to work as a whole.