Murder On the Orient Express coming to Plymouth
It’s fitting that one of Agatha Christie’s greatest works will be staged in her home county of Devon later this year. The author was born in Torquay towards the end of the nineteenth century. She was a prolific writer with more than 50 books to her name.
One of her best loved characters was, of course, the Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. Well, fans of the classic Whodunnit genre are in for a real treat as Michael Maloney is set to star in Lucy Bailey’s new production which will be staged at TRP in September.
‘I am very excited and honoured to be joining a long line of extraordinary actors who have taken on the role of Hercule Poirot and hope I can be so, too,’ says Michael.
‘To work with such a talented director as Lucy Bailey and with top producers Fiery Angel is a gift and a privilege. Here’s to Orient Express hurtling through your town or city soon!’
Michael Maloney’s extensive film and television work include: Belfast, Iron Lady, Young Victoria, Notes on a Scandal, Branagh’s Hamlet, Zefferelli’s Hamlet, Truly Madly Deeply, The Crown, Magpie Murder, The Trial of Christine Keeler, The Five, River, The White Queen, Bonekickers, Empire, The Jury and Love on a Branch Line.
On the stage, his many roles for the RSC include: Edgar, Romeo and Prince Hal. For the National, he has appeared in Light Shining in Buckinghamshire as Cromwell, Alice’s Adventures Under Ground as Lewis Carroll and Once in a While the Odd Thing Happens as Benjamin Britten.
In the West End, he has appeared in Peer Gynt (in the title role), Can You Hear Me at the Back? and Taking Steps.
One of Agatha Christie’s greatest literary achievements
Murder on the Orient Express is seen as one of Agatha Christie’s greatest literary achievements – with a final twist that is amongst her very best. Audiences find it gripping, tense and masterfully cryptic.
The tale is set in winter 1934. An avalanche stops the Orient Express dead in its tracks. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment. He’s been stabbed eight times and his door has been locked from the inside.
Trapped in the snow with a killer still on board, can the world’s most famous detective, Hercule Poirot, crack the case before the train reaches its final destination?
Murder on the Orient Express will be directed by Lucy Bailey (Witness for the Prosecution, And Then There Were None, The Other Boleyn Girl) and designed by Mike Britton.
Lighting design by Oliver Fenwick, video design by Ian Galloway, sound design by Mic Pool, movement direction by Leah Hausman, casting by Abby Galvin and with Victoria Gartner as assistant director.
Agatha Christie Ltd and Fiery Angel will bring Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of the Agatha Christie classic to the stage, which comes to Theatre Royal Plymouth (TRP) from 24 – 28 September 2024.
