Murder on the Orient Express – Review – York Grand Opera House
By Karl Hornsey, March 2025
As a fan of all things Poirot for more years than I care to remember, it was a no-brainer to head to the Grand Opera House in York to see Ken Ludwig’s stage adaptation of one of the Belgian sleuth’s most famous cases. Murder on the Orient Express is one of those novels, and later film and TV adaptations, that will always keep coming back for more. While set in 1934, the themes and characters still resonate today, and always will do, as with so many of Agatha Christie’s stories that have an underlying darkness in tone. Some might wonder whether the world needs another version, but when put together as slickly and professionally as this one, adding extra layers and nuances to the story, then the answer is a resounding ‘yes’.
Firstly, and without giving away any spoilers, there are changes, and fairly major ones in part from the oh-so-familiar original but, crucially, none of these detract from the story and it’s refreshing that even with such familiar original material, Ludwig has had the courage and the imagination to introduce new ideas. Naturally, the number of characters has been pared back a little, so we’re left with fewer suspects – understandably so, as I’m not sure the stage could have coped with another four actors, which provides entertainment in itself trying to work out which ones have been melded together. There are ingenious twists that work, particularly the scene added at the end of act one, and the monologues from Poirot himself at the beginning and end are wonderful additions.
“Whirlwind”
Which brings me neatly onto the main man himself. No matter how polished this production might be, there’s little getting away from the fact that, ultimately, it largely succeeds (or not) on the quality of the actor playing Poirot, and Michael Maloney excels in the role. I was concerned that it’s so difficult for someone else to come along and put their stamp on the eccentric detective without descending into caricature or simply delivering an impersonation, but Maloney is outstanding.
From the moment we see him on stage, he is Poirot. The mannerisms are there, the pomposity is there, the accent is there – so all is well. Maloney finds excellent support as well, with Bob Barrett taking the role of his effective sidekick, Monsieur Bouc, adding plenty of comedy to the production, while Christine Kavanagh is a tour de force as the whirlwind of human nature that is Helen Hubbard.
“Triumph of design”
Much of the story, of course, is set on the eponymous train, and again that was one of the thoughts running through my mind ahead of the show – just how does one create a practical, believable and visually stunning Orient Express on stage? Well, I don’t know the answer, but designer Mike Britton certainly does, as he’s come up with the goods. The movable sections of the train are expertly manoeuvred throughout to reveal the passengers’ sleeping compartments, dining cars and lounge areas, dominating the stage but allowing the actors to go about their business with ease. It really is a triumph of design and transports you perfectly back to the age of luxury travel.
It’s hard to find fault with this adaptation, although the need to have the characters almost constantly on the move, especially in the second act, can get a little too frenetic at times, with all of them reaching fever pitch by the end, although in fairness, that has been the case with all of the film adaptations that I’ve come across. All in all, this is an outstanding work, retelling, and adding a little something to an age-old story, and is highly recommended as it continues it’s York run.
‘Murder on the Orient Express’ is at York Grand Opera House until March 29th
images Manuel Harlan
Karl’s love of writing was piqued at the age of eight, when he won a Blue Peter badge in an essay-writing competition. The location of said badge might be a mystery now, but the memory never fades. Hours spent writing about sport as a teenager, in pre-internet years when you had to make your entertainment, honed his skills, and Karl has worked in TV and radio listings at PA Media for 28 years, and the age of hybrid working means 50% of that can be at home listening to Classic FM and thinking about his next visit to his beloved Yorkshire Dales.
@KarlHornsey, hornskar
