A new adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic whodunnit Murder on the Orient Express is set for the stage this Autumn.
Ken Ludwig has adapted the murder mystery classic for a new production at Chichester Festival Theatre, directed by the venue’s former artistic director Jonathan Church.
The play will run at Chichester from 13 May to 4 June 2022, followed by a run at the Theatre Royal Bath from 9 to 25 June 2022.
The new adaptation is by Ken Ludwig, who has written over 30 plays and musicals winning five Tony Awards and two Olivier Awards, including the book and co-conception for Broadway hit Crazy For You, which is coming to Chichester in 2022 directed by Susan Stroman.
The production is directed by Jonathan Church (Amadeus, Singin’ in the Rain, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui), who recently produced the famous TV Poirot, David Suchet, in his one man show David Suchet: Poirot and More, A Retrospective.
Murder on the Orient Express is designed by Robert Jones (Oklahoma!, Mack & Mabel), with lighting by Mark Henderson, music by Adrian Sutton, sound by Christopher Shutt, movement by Lucy Hind, and casting by Gabrielle Dawes CDG.
Henry Goodman plays Poirot in the show, and his extensive stage credits include Yes, Prime Minister and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at Chichester; a string of successes at the National Theatre, including an Olivier Award-winning performance as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Roy Cohn in the UK premiere of Angels in America and Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls; Volpone for the RSC; and Assassins at the Donmar Warehouse, for which he won an Olivier Award.
The celebrated detective Hercule Poirot boards the legendary Orient Express, enjoying the prospect of a luxurious rail journey from Istanbul to Calais in the dead of winter. The train is surprisingly packed for the time of year; only the intervention of the manager secures Poirot a first class berth, alongside an intriguing and glittering company of international travellers.
But just after midnight, the Orient Express screeches to a halt, marooned by a snowdrift. And by morning, one passenger is dead…
Nobody can leave. A guard appears to be missing. A killer is in their midst. And Poirot must deploy his ‘little grey cells’ on the most difficult case of his career: one that will force him to question his deepest beliefs.
Chichester has also announced a huge slate of new shows for 2022 as part of their 60th anniversary season including a new production of Crazy For You directed by Susan Stroman, and musicals including The Famous Five: The Musical and Local Hero. Read more about the new season.
