This touring adaptation of MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS successfully captures the essence of Christie’s classic, thanks to strong performances, a creative set design, and well-placed humour.
Since its publication in 1934, Agatha Christie’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS has been subject to many adaptations, from film to television and, of course, many theatre productions. This current touring adaptation by Fiery Angel and from the pen of Ken Ludwig loses nothing of the original but also feels both fresh and traditional, no mean achievement. Direction by Lucy Bailey ensures that the production is everything you would want from a Christie and follows on from their successful production of AND THEN THERE WERE NONE.
The story is perhaps one of Christie’s most well-known, but it is imbued with joy and energy in this current touring production. It is the 1930s and the Orient Express train is trapped by an avalanche of heavy snow in Yugoslavia. A murder occurs, but who is the victim, and who is the murderer?
Poirot, played with subtle enthusiasm by theatre alumni Michael Maloney, is his usual self: so contained and methodical that you can practically hear his little grey cells ticking over with an undercurrent of repressed energy. However, in a change to the accepted presentation, we also see the anger and the emotion as he grapples with his own conscience when he finally solves the crime.
Meanwhile, the incredible cast meets the challenge of such a well-known plot with ease and brings nuances to their various roles that give a fresh feeling to the production. Even the victim, Samuel Ratchett, played by Simon Cotton, whose appearance is brief, manages to convey the utter unpleasantness of the individual. Not one scene, either small or ensemble, is overplayed.
There are red herrings, half-truths, and obfuscations galore, which add to an enjoyable and vibrant take on a classic of the mystery genre. The clues are all there, but can the audience decipher them in a forest of cryptic clues whilst the narrative peels layers from each character, from the corpse to the countess. In short, everyone has something to lose, and nobody is who they seem.
For the keen listener, as with all Christie’s works, you can gradually piece the clues together, but it is both a credit and a testament to the cast that the denouement at the end, the suspense is palpable and the audience rapt. To be able to do this with a work so well known is no mean achievement.
Moving from the cast to the creative side of the production, there cannot be enough praise for the set design by Mike Britton, which is, literally, a train set. Moved around the stage to create different vignettes this works extremely well and envelopes the audience in both the train and the atmosphere onboard.
You could argue that the script deviates slightly with fewer characters than the original novel, but there is no loss of quality for this, and the injections of humour are well placed, well carried and well received. The lighting and video projections further enhance the look and feel of the production, and Sarah Holland’s attention to costumes is a delight.
In short, for a work that celebrated its 90th birthday at the start of the year this adaptation shows that there are surprises to be found in the most familiar of places.
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS runs at The Lowry, Salford until 14 September 2024
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