Theatre

A murderously funny and thrilling take on an Agatha Christie classic – Murder on the Orient Express at The Lowry

An adaptation that the lady herself would be proud of.

Danny Jones - 11th September 2024

Let’s start off by making two things clear: nailing a tried and true classic well is no mean feat and, two, fans are very precious when it comes to adaptation – Murder on the Orient Express at The Lowry, rather fittingly, barrelled through those obstacles not like a luxury liner but like a freight train.

Yes, the iconic Agatha Christie tale and quintessential ‘whodunnit’ may have ironically been done to death at this point (most recently resurrected on the big screen by director and Hollywood’s Hercule Poirot, Kenneth Branagh), but this new stage production felt much more refreshing than the blockbuster.

Put simply, merely going where many have gone before and expecting results or similar success isn’t a given. Written and adapted by Ken Ludwig and directed by Lucy Bailey, this latest Murder on the Orient Express now on at the legendary Lowry Theatre is a must-see as far as we’re concerned.

What the creators, along with the whole cast and crew, have done with this treasured text is elevate it not just to a play that will leave any theatre-goer walking away satisfied but also restore the true light and shade to the textbook murder mystery that has more high points than we can squeeze into 1000 words.

murder on the orient express tickets salford — Credit: Manuel Harlan (press images supplied)

murder on the orient express salford quays lowry theatre — Credit: Manuel Harlan (press images supplied)

A small but stunning and dynamic set

First and foremost, we can’t begin anywhere else other than applauding what they’ve managed to achieve with the set alone.

It was one of our first big questions going into the performance. How are they going to pull this off and create that sense of motion around the actors on stage? Is it going to look any good? Turns out we had nothing to worry about whatsoever.

Combining nothing more than three movable train cars donned in full Edwardian decor, a few tables for breakaway scenes and clever use of an overhead screen to portray elements like snowdrift weather and even wheels chugging along the tracks, much like the plot, it always felt like things were on the move.

Twinned with excellent use of music and sound effects – both ambient and authentic in the case of Christine Kavanagh as the delightfully devilish Mrs Helen Hubbard, whose late-night sing-song felt like genuinely peaking into someone’s cabin after a few tipples – the whole surround just works so well.

They did a great job of creating these little vignettes within each train window, almost like sitting across from an apartment block and peaking into the living rooms of each flat, people-watching as their stories play out, only with the bonus of these strangers being mic’d up so you don’t have to fill in the blanks.

And none of these little snapshots felt throwaway whatsoever. You only have to hear the passion that Ludwig, Bailey and the star of the show, Michael Maloney, spoke of in the lead-up to opening night to hear how much everyone involved had thrown themselves into every inch of the show.

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Poirot done to perfection

But let’s not beat around the bush here: even if you’ve seen it a dozen times before, you come for the murder mystery and you stay to see the moustachioed “magician” at work.

The entire supporting cast was wonderful, in truth – we particularly loved the aforementioned Kavanagh and her ‘just the right amount of chaos’; Bob Barrett’s energy as Monsieur Bouc and the permanently frantic Greta Ohlsson, done so well by Rebecca Charles – but Maloney is absolutely masterful as Poirot.

To be honest, besides a couple of accent slips here and there (podody’s nerfect), everyone up on that stage was a joy to watch embody these timeless characters and made for a well-balanced ensemble, but this might be our favourite portrayal of the talented detective since the almighty David Suchet himself.

Whether it be in the expertly delivering lengthy monologues, the many moments of self-deprecation, mourning his youth and always remaining the wittiest player on stage, or breaking up those moments of levity with rare but sudden flashes of frustration that actually catch you off-guard, he was flawless.

Similar to how he keeps every one of the suspects in his pocket from minute one, he had the audience in the palm of his hand for the entire duration and the timbre of that French—sorry, Belgian* dialect barely dips for even a second.

whats on at the lowry theatre september 2024 manchester — Michael Maloney is the pure embodiment of everything Poirot is and should be. (Credit: Press Image/Manuel Harlan)

Michael Maloney Hercule Poirot — Michael Maloney is the pure embodiment of everything Poirot is and should be. (Credit: Press Image/Manuel Harlan)

The drama is great but where it truly shines is in the laughs

Lastly, speaking of that levity, perhaps the thing we loved most about the whole approach to this version of Murder on the Orient Express is that it isn’t so much a tense tragedy as it is a dramatic comedy.

The chances are that almost everyone in that theatre knows the synopsis of this long-loved tale virtually inside and out, so it was always going to be hard to build really pulse-raising suspense and intrigue, but they manage it by lulling you into those lighter moments and letting the performances shine.

And then BANG: suddenly a big twist, a volta; the crescendo after a period of precisely paced and carefully crafted conversation. It hits you like a gunshot echoing throughout the carriages, a sudden stab to the gut stifled in a quiet train compartment yet still somehow felt from the comfort of your seat.

Everyone gets their handful of one-liners, those comic pauses that dwell just a half-second too long and then some, but it never feels forced or overdone. The full spectrum of emotions is packed into just under two hours and it’s nothing short of a triumph from start to finish.

Without spoiling too much, there is one sound – not even an actual line of dialogue per se – from Maloney when conversing with the Countess (Mila Carter) that we’re still chuckling about now.

We won’t be sold bold as to give this a star rating but let’s just say we wholly recommend visiting what is without a doubt the best thing on at Salford Quays right now.