Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, adapted by Ken Ludwig, Theatre Royal Plymouth to 28 September 2024, 4✩✩✩✩. Review: Cormac Richards.

Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, adapted by Ken Ludwig, Theatre Royal Plymouth to 28 September 2024,

4✩✩✩✩. Review: Cormac Richards

“A very successful and satisfying production.”

Adapting the work of the Queen of Crime is a perilous business; tinker with the original works and you could fall foul of the millions of fans, and bringing them to the stage or screen can cause high anxiety; witness criticisms of Kenneth Branagh on film and Sarah Phelps on TV. Earlier this year, Lucy Bailey brought a version of ‘And Then There Were None’ to the stage; it was awful; this in the face of her version of ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ which has been running in London for some time now and is highly regarded.  What will she make of another of Agatha Christie’s most famous works? Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ was premiered in 2017 but didn’t reach the UK until 2022 when Henry Goodman donned Poirot’s moustache. Now, a more extensive tour has taken to the road and it is something of a relief to say it is hugely entertaining.

Ludwig’s adaptation is true (he uses Christie’s exact words at times), but not slavish to the original and the changes have been undertaken for good reason. The character list has been slimmed down; out go the likes of Masterman, Hardman, Foscarelli, Hildegarde Schmidt…. there are a vast array in the book, Ludwig simplifies without too much compromise. The adaptation also adds a couple of highly dramatic moments – one just before the interval – which offer momentum, where the novel does lack (and doesn’t really need) suspense until the very end. It is well done.

The use of projection as well as tableaux and slow motion (the latter two motifs featured in the Director’s production earlier this year) tell the important back story effectively. When we get on board, the Orient Express becomes a character all of its own; sets of carriages, which open out like a dolls house and which are slid together in a variety of permutations – all beautifully designed by Mike Britton. The Ensemble of ‘train workers’ carry out the potentially cumbersome transitions with efficiency, but such is the interest in what position they will end up in and what you will see when they settle, it isn’t an issue. It’s a cracking reproduction.

The production values are high with good costuming and excellent lighting and a very good soundscape throughout; all of which create a splendidly thrilling period atmosphere. 

In Michael Maloney there is a tremendous Poirot; full of mischief, faux modesty, arrogance, schoolboy excitement and enormous power; far less mannered that some portrayals, and all the better for it. Maloney is a first-rate actor and his Poirot is a triumph. There is strong support from Bob Barret as Bouc, worried about the reputation of his trainline; the garrulous, flirty and demonstrative Mrs Hubbard played by Christine Kavanagh; Debbie Chazen having a whale of a time (and some of the best lines) as the Princess Dragomiroff; Paul Keating slightly channelling Anthony Hopkins as the nervy, fey Hector McQueen; and a strong turn by Mila Carter as the Countess. Both Iniki Mariano (Mary Debenham) and Rishi Rian (Colonel Khan) are rather too declamatory in their delivery and could take a tip from Mr Maloney who has such range in his vocals.

There are laughs, but these are well positioned and never for the sake of it and when juxtaposed with the tense moments, they make for a satisfying mix. The murder itself, when you get to see it, is excellent, as is the delivery of the denouement with simple, but smartly done, flashbacks. The story is well told and huge fun, even to those who know the story backwards.

A very successful and satisfying production which races along after a few lulls in the first half; Lucy Bailey has redeemed herself. For those who are Christie fans or not, I highly recommend this great piece of escapism and Maloney’s Poirot is a treat!

Cast

Hercule Poirot – Michael Maloney

Monsieur Bouc – Bob Barrett

Countess Andrenyi – Mile Carter

Princess Dragomiroff – Debbie Chazen

Greta Ohlsson – Rebecca Charles

Samuel Ratchett – Simon Cotton

Michel – Jean-Baptiste Fillon

Helen Hubbard – Christine Kavanagh

Hector McQueen – Paul Keating

Mary Debenham – Iniki Mariano

The Colonel – Rishi Rian

Head Waiter – Alex Stedman

Ensemble – Antony Gabriel, Jasmine Raymond, Beth Tuckey

Creatives

Writers – Agatha Christie (novel) Ken Ludwig (adaptation)

Director – Lucy Bailey

Designer – Mike Britton

Lighting Design – Oliver Fenwick

Sound Design – Mic Pool

Video Design – Ian William Galloway