Murder on the Orient Express is one of Agatha Christie’s most recognisable works and, although director Lucy Bailey has pulled together a functional yet faithful staging of the classic murder mystery, the pacing of the piece seems to hold it back somehow.
The first issue facing Bailey would have been how best to stage a beloved story set almost entirely on board a steam train hurtling across Europe in 1934. Although the set design is initially pleasing, with the carriage making use of the stage revolve, it soon hems the company in and has a negative effect on the suspense of the piece.
Michael Maloney gives an assured performance as everybody’s favourite Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, while Bob Barrett assumes the role of his confidante and sidekick Monsieur Bouc. But Ken Ludwig’s script feels overly blunt at times, with Poirot’s famous deductive powers on full display but rarely in a way that feels fresh.
Perhaps Murder on the Orient Express just naturally lends itself more to the page or the screen because, for large parts, this production just never really catches light. The opening, as we meet the production’s large ensemble cast, feels tediously drawn out and even the build-up to the aforementioned murder seems to lack the required amount of suspense.
Although the set itself is both impressive and ambitious for a touring production, perhaps more could have been done by way of sound and lighting design. But video projections on a dropped curtain just do not cut it, especially when the same director presided over a much more dynamic staging of Christie’s And Then There Were None recently.
However, fans of Murder on the Orient Express’ previous iterations in both book and film form will undoubtedly still enjoy this latest take on the classic murder mystery. The second act, when Poirot assembles the cast to make his big reveal, is much more engaging but, while serviceable, the piece leaves its audience longing for more.
Murder on the Orient Express plays at Richmond Theatre until 9 November, before continuing its national tour until 3rd May 2025. For tickets, see here.
Review: Tom Ambrose