Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express Is Coming to Surflight Theatre

by Staff

On multiple occasions between September 28 and October 9, 2022, Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express musical will be played at the Surflight Theatre. This is a cinematic adaptation by Ken Ludwig, otherwise known for his work on Lend Me a Tenor and Crazy For You.

The origins of the story

Agatha Christie originally wrote the famous detective novel during World War 2. What followed was a sharp increase in popularity across all media outlets, and many filmmakers and game producers went on to adapt the story in their ways. Examples include movies like Kenneth Branagh’s Murder on the Orient Express, a video game of the same name, and even a slot game that can be found at iGaming brands like Virgin. First-time players interested in signing up can take advantage of the Virgin casino promo code.

The scene is set in Istanbul

This is where Poirot, the famous detective, is seen heading on a well-deserved vacation after just having solved a challenging crime mystery. But alas, he is forced to cancel his plans upon receiving a telegram prompting his swift return to London. Trying to board the Simpon-Orient Express, he finds himself out of luck upon learning it has reached peak capacity, which is odd. Luckily enough, his friend Monsieur Bouc is kind enough to let him have his compartment.

A murder occurs right next to him

Shortly after that, a murder occurs in the compartment right next to his. Fearful the news will ruin his company’s reputation, Bouc pleads with Poirot to solve it within the few days he has available before continuing to London. Deciding to help out a friend, Poirot stumbles upon a note, “remember Daisy Armstrong.” This happens to be about a young girl who was kidnapped and later murdered a couple of years before the events on the Orient Express.

Interviewing the passengers

To pin down the murderer, Poirot proceeds to interrogate the passengers. As he soon finds out, virtually all of them have something to hide. As if things weren’t complicated enough, the train must quickly stop in the middle of nowhere due to a vicious snowstorm. After a second passenger is murdered, panic ensues as the passengers fear their lives. Can Poirot unmask the murderer in time?

The cast

This is an opportunity to witness fantastic actors in action:

 

– Allan Corduner (Detective Hercule Poirot)

– Veanne Cox (Princess Dragomiroff)

– Alexandra Silber (Countess Andrenyi)

– Evan Zes (Bouc)

– Maboud Ebrahimzadeh (Michel)

– Juha Sorola (MacQueen)

– Samantha Steinmetz (Greta Ohlsson)

– Julie Halston (Mrs. Hubbard)

– Max von Essen (Ratchett/Col.)

– Susannah Hoffman (Mary Debenham)

 

All the cast members are delightful to see live, with Corduner especially standing out with his perfectly nailed French accent. Unlike in the original mystery novel, you will find the pace of the play moves rather quickly as there are plenty of curveballs for our detective to maneuver – a well-balanced combination of comedy and mystery.

 

And it wouldn’t be quite right without the helping hand of William Ivey Long and his finely crafted and vibrantly colored costumes. This is genuinely what accentuates the odd personalities of the characters that share this scenic train ride. One could say the characters are some of the quirkiest you’ve ever encountered, and this all blends wonderfully into the scenes.

The set

The design of the set connects the dots and gives the story an imaginative playground for it to play out. It was created by none other than Beowulf Boritt, an award-winning designer. This is much more than your typical set – featuring rollable compartments; it’s how the viewer is seamlessly introduced to different rooms and areas of the train. In other words, not only is it practical, but quite a sight to look at.

We’ll see you at the Surflight Theatre!

Murder on the Orient Express is coming to the Surflight Theatre on various dates between September 28 and October 9th, 2022.

Full address:

Surflight Theatre

201 Engleside Avenue, Beach Haven. NJ 08008Make sure to purchase the tickets here before they’re sold out. We’ll see you there!

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The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.

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