Agatha Christie’s Famous Train Makes a Stop in Buffalo

The Timeless Murder Mystery

A delicious murder mystery set on an elegant first class train racing across Europe is delighting audiences at Shea’s 710 Theatre. 

An eclectic cast of characters, led by a famous fictional detective (no, not that one), are put through their paces in this comedic adaptation of Agatha Christie’s famous novel by Tony and Olivier Award winning playwright, Ken Ludwig. 

Directed with a sure hand by Kyle LoConti, with a set designed by Lynne Koscielniak that captures the look and feel of an elegant hotel in Istanbul and the grand interior of the first class sleeper car on the train, the play is awash with 1930s sensibilities and characters that include everyone from a Russian princess to an American businessman cum gangster.

That Famed Detective

As to the plot, guests at the upscale Tokatlian Hotel in Istanbul await boarding time for the Orient Express. As each awaits the time, we learn a little bit about them. Famous detective Hercule Poirot (Christian Brandjes), on holiday, has been called back to London by Scotland Yard, and seeks a berth in the already fully booked first class compartment. His friend and director of the hotel and train operator, Monsieur Bouc (Gregory Giurich) secures him a place. He will also be traveling. On the first night, the train is stalled by a snowstorm, then the American businessman/gangster, Ratchett, is found stabbed to death in his bed in the morning. The question is, “Who done it?”

Christian Brandjes is superb as the fussy mustachioed Belgian detective, Poirot. He often takes tiny graceful steps as he walks. He sits in his room at night carefully waxing his mustache, then placing a hairnet equally carefully over his diminishing locks, each movement deliberate and ritualized. He is the very image of the corpulent detective, although he never once mentioned his “little gray cells.” He conveys the intelligence and warmth of the man as well as his weird little quirks, and presents the audience with a moral dilemma, the gist of which will not be revealed here.

Gregory Giurich as his friend, Monsieur Bouc and Lisa Ludwig as the American oft-wed Mrs. Hubbard, provide most of the broad comedy. They are a hoot, he with the exasperation and tantrums of the quintessential temperamental Frenchman, she with the brass and balls of the entitled rich midwest American country club grand dame. She belts out show tunes in the middle of the night, fueled by voluminous quantities of bourbon. He bemoans the fate of his position because of the dead body in first class, waving his arms about and gesturing like mad while saying one witty remark after another. 

Anthony Alcocer is a nasty piece of work as the soon to be dispatched Ratchett. He also plays the stiff-upper-lip Col. Arbuthnot, who appears to have something going with the lovely governess, Mary Debenham, played with sly shyness by Gabrielle Jean McKinley. Augustus Donaldson is Hector MacQueen, secretary to Ratchett, who tries to please everyone and stay very, very upbeat so his obvious fear can be kept at bay. Annette Daniels Taylor is the elderly, opinionated Princess Dragomiroff, who lives for the day the Bolsheviks are thrown out of her beloved Russia. She possesses a world-weary sardonic wit. She is accompanied by her maid, Greta Ohlsson played by Robyn Baun. She is one nervous nellie, constantly praying and talking about the African babies she saves as a missionary in that benighted continent. Lissette DeJesus is the  formal and formidable Countess Andrenyi, a commoner who married into royalty. Last, but never least, is Ben Michael Moran as the snooty French head waiter at the hotel and the frantic train conductor, Michel. 

Each character is finely drawn and each actor is fully engaged in their character, some deliberately over-the-top, which adds a touch of farce to the proceedings. Accents abound, with the assistance of Dialect Coach Jennifer Toohey. Several patrons expressed concern about not being able to understand some of the dialogue, whether due to the sound mix or heavy accents is unknown. However, they also said it is a minor issue, as it was always very clear what was transpiring on stage.

Speaking of the stage, the set is a marvel. Two oblong screens above the stage project relevant images of the action below, designed by Nicholas Taboni, who is also Associate Set Designer. An image of the train is replaced by a view of Istanbul, Santa Sofia off in the distance. The snowstorm and aftermath are projected there, as are several more fraught images. The set is on a turntable, so the the red velvet drapes and cocktail tables of the hotel are replaced in half-turn by the train station, which is replaced by the dining car of the train, which is replaced by three rooms of the passengers, which is replaced by a lounge, etc., each change a turn of the turntable. There must be frantic, silent scene changes backstage. An open space between the two halves acts as the corridor of the train, where Michel desperately tries to reach the authorities who will dig out the train. 1930s costumes by Lise Harty, hair and wigs by Susan Drozd, meld together perfectly to provide the styles of the period, including the 19th Century costume of the Princess Dragomiroff.

An Appealing Piece of Theatre

Murder On The Orient Express is a very well-known entity. The novel is still in print after almost 90 years, and several movies of it have been made. If you decide to watch one, find the 1974 British version directed by Sidney Lumet. It is by far the best, in my not-so-humble opinion. 

This production is by All for One Productions, an aggregate of five local theater companies. It is a fine example of their expertise. The acting is excellent. The creative team has produced a visually appealing piece of theater in every aspect of technical design. And they have chosen a fascinating mystery. What could be better than that for a patron of the theater?