The Waterfront Playhouse on Mallory Square has begun rehearsals for its production, “Murder on the Orient Express.” A stage adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel was written and adapted by Ken Ludwig and premiered in New Jersey in 2017. Based on the Christie novel that was first published in the United States in February 1934, it was originally published under the name “Murder on the Calais Coach.” “Murder on the Orient Express” is directed by Tom Thayer, designed by Michael Boyer, costumed by Leigh Hooten, lighting design by Kris Hodge and stage managed by Renee Austin.
The plot is full of wild characters. As Poirot puts it, “It was like a painting by Pablo Picasso.” The play opens in Istanbul at the Tokatlian Hotel, where the audience meets Poirot, played by David Black. He runs into his old friend, Bouc (played by Dominic Paolillo), who arranges a trip on the Orient Express, which he owns. Upon boarding the train, one by one, Poirot meets odd characters. As the train departs the station amid snowy conditions, the layers of each passenger peel back.
The passengers are misfits, with their own reasons for being on the train. Outside of Monsieur Bouc and Poirot, passengers include Helen Hubbard, a widow (Glenda Donovan); Mary Debenham, an English governess (Morgan Pierson); Greta Ohlsson, a Swedish missionary (Jessica Miano Kruel); Samuel Ratchett, an American businessman (Mathias Maloff); Ratchett’s secretary/translator Hector MacQueen (Ray West); Natalia Dragomiroff, a Russian princess (Barbara Mundy); the Countess of Hungary Elena Andrenyi (Cassidy Timms); an English colonel by the name of John Arbuthnot (Maloff) and conductor Michel (Karl Stahl).
During the ascent up the mountain on the way to London, the train becomes stuck in the snow. Shortly following the abrupt stop in the late hours of the evening, a murder occurs and Hercule Poirot is on the case.Tickets may be purchased by calling 305-294-5015 or by visiting waterfrontplayhouse.org.
