Murder on the Orient Express (UK Tour) Review
By KYLE PEDLEY for _Theatre
Be it the record-breaking longevity of The Mousetrap in the West End, right through to the resurgent national obsession with the BBC’s The Traitors, if there’s one thing we Brits have a bent for, it’s a good old fashioned murder mystery. And few are better – or more deliciously old fashioned – than the works of Dame Agatha.
Even amongst Christie’s storied catalogue, Murder on the Orient Express stands out. Presenting one of the most challenging and consequential cases for what is arguably her greatest creation – Belgian detective Hercule Poirot – Express is Christie at her most ubiquitous, as Poirot comes face to face with a seemingly impossible case of murder aboard the titular locomotive.
It’s a firm favourite that has since been transplanted to stage and screen many times over, not least of all the big-budget, Kenneth Branagh-fronted Hollywood outing of 2017.
All the kudos, then, to Fiery Angel, Ken Ludwig, Lucy Bailey and co for bringing it once again to the stage for this UK touring production and delivering an absorbing, atmospheric and gripping take on an almost Century-old story that many in the audience will have no doubt experienced multiple times over.
Firstly, it looks terrific. This is a slick, polished and ambitious piece of stagecraft that wouldn’t look at all amiss on a West End stage. The interlocking, multi-dimensional majesty of Mike Britton’s glorious depiction of the Orient Express herself is a wonder – twisting, turning and oscillating to present a set of both remarkable versatility yet distinct character. And it’s often all cast under Ian William Galloway’s moody, evocative video backdrops, whilst Oliver Fenwick’s lighting casts cabins in cosy hues of oranges and browns, or plunges Poirot into stark spotlights in moments of epiphany or moral crisis. It’s rare to have a touring production demonstrate such polish and production value.
Thankfully, the assembled company more than meet the grandeur and spectacle of their surroundings. In true Christie form, this is an ensemble piece through and through, though steering the ship (train?) is Michael Maloney’s inspired take on Poirot himself. It’s a dignified and measured performance, bubbling away with the Belgian’s irrepressible charm, but in the second Act in particular Maloney channels a borderline rage and exasperation through the character that proves a real tour de force. It may be this particular reviewer’s favourite stage version of the character to date.
A fantastic supporting cast pepper Ludwig’s adaptation with real verve and spark. For all that it genuinely proves to be a compelling, often thrilling whodunnit, so too do Ludwig, Bailey and the cast inject it with plenty of levity and humour, too. Be it the well-meaning but slightly bumbling nature of Bob Barrett’s kindly Monsieur Bouc, or the verbal sparring between Debbie Chazen’s sardonic Russian aristocrat and Christie Kavanagh’s feisty serial divorcee, there are plenty of laughs peppered through what transpires to ultimately be one of Christie’s darker plots.
As mentioned, the entire company are fantastic. Rebecca Charles somehow manages to make her slightly hysterical assistant endearing as opposed to intolerable, whilst Chazen gives great deadpan throughout. Simon Cotton is suitably odious as shady businessman Samuel Ratchett, and Paul Keating does great work with comparatively little as his nervy helping hand. Mila Carter proves herself a real talent to watch as an enigmatic Countess, whilst Iniki Mariano is excellent and effortlessly convincing as a frightened ingenue fleeing from something in her past.
But if it’s really Maloney’s show, then a captivating Christie Kavanagh more than threatens to give him a run for his Euros. As the flirtatious, wise-cracking Helen Hubbard, Kavanagh commands every scene she appears in. It’s a whirlwind of a comedic and dramatic performance, both.
As an updated staging of an undisputed classic, it’s difficult to imagine a more polished or classy production than this Murder. Bailey’s direction is taut, exciting and ebbs with creativity. A moment where a clue is revealed in flames or the staging of a climactic revelation are simply brilliant pieces of theatre. It crackles with electric performances, looks as grand and ornate as the Orient herself, and is the first must-see piece of touring theatre of 2025.
All aboard for a thrilling, supremely polished journey to murder, mystery and marvellous theatre.