Baltimore, MD: Everyman Theatre’s Murder on the Orient Express a Seductive Spin on Agatha Christie

Christmastime in Baltimore calls for afternoons spent immersed in the city’s ever-improving cultural scene, from indie concerts in Fells Point to touring musical theatre at the Hippodrome. This year, Baltimore’s Everyman Theatre contributes to its local theatre scene an excellent take on Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, a perhaps-welcome break from more “seasonally-appropriate” onstage fare. Murder on the Orient Express,adapted by Ken Ludwig and  efficiently directed by Vincent M. Lancisi, offers to its audiences an aesthetically-gorgeous voyage into snowy Europe, one populated by a cohesive ensemble of could-be murder culprits.  

Murder on the Orient Expressis a classic Agatha Christie murder mystery, one helmed by famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Poirot (played by Bruce Randolph Nelson), en route to Paris on the Orient Express, encounters a strange collective of train staff, royalty, aristocrats, and exiles – each with a peculiar connection to the unsolved murder of an American little girl, Daisy Armstrong. Tragedy inevitably strikes aboard the Orient Express, and Poirot must work quickly to uncover the killer of not only his fellow passenger, but young Daisy as well.   

Nelson as Poirot is a convincing hero; he commands his space on wit alone, with strong timing and nearly-excusable Belgian accent. Other standouts include Deborah Hazlett as Helen Hubbard, Tony Nam as Hector Macqueen, and Jefferson A. Russell as Monsieur Bouc. On the whole, this ensemble is quite strong; the imposition of over-the-top accents is defendable upon the play’s twist ending(s), but at times seems to hinder comic timing. For the most part, though, this talented corps of actors works well together to create both tension and humour in delicious conjunction. 

This production absolutely shines in its technical elements; the impressively-automated set by Daniel Ettinger works in successful tandem with lighting design by Harold F. Burgess II and lovely projections by Rasean Davonte Johnson. The projections especially work to suggest not only snow, but realistic perpetual motion while onboard the Orient Express; truly, kudos to the design team for thoughtful consideration of transitional moments and outer-narrative scenic decoration. The visual components of this show (rightfully) elicit gasps from audiences, and contribute a wonderful ambience to the story onstage.

Murder on the Orient Expressis an enjoyable few hours of theatre, with genuinely impressive production values and mostly strong performances. While this play may not quite be the theatre Baltimore needs (it doesn’t necessarily answer the cultural or ideological questions the city seems to be asking), it holds absolute merit as a piece of entertainment, and is worth supporting as one of few instances of local, professional theatre in Baltimore. 

Murder on the Orient Express runs at Everyman Theatre through January 11. Tickets are available at www.everymantheatre.org

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