Review: MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS at ZACH

While I’m rarely the first in line for a murder mystery, I can’t say they’re not in my wheelhouse. I do love a good true crime podcast or Knives Out movie, though. Maybe it’s the countless off-putting community theatre murder mysteries that I’ve sat through. The first act is so slow, so often! The pressure to figure out whodunit! But — if Ken Ludwig’s involved in MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, I sit up and pay a little more attention. Add a magnificent set built to scale, cinematic elements, thoroughly gifted and skilled actors who are backed by outstanding direction and production values, and I’m convinced. And so it is with Agathie Christie's inimitable MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, adapted by Ken Ludwig, running through March 1st at ZACH.

In Ludwig’s adaptation of the novel, the production unfolds both as an immersive thriller and as a carefully framed cinematic study that positions us as witnesses to Hercule Poirot’s moral dilemma. Steven Pounders’ understated and embodied Poirot addresses us immediately after a prologue, bringing us into the story through this lens, and we’re off.

Ludwig’s gift is in theatrical architecture as a king of farce (his long list includes the now-classic plays LEND ME A TENOR and MOON OVER BUFFALO), and he streamlines the novel into a tight, actable mystery. Ludwig trims and combines roles to make the story manageable for the stage. It leans slightly more stylized than the novel, adds some interesting flair, and plays like a psychological chamber piece with elegance.

As director Jenny Lavery points out in her program note, “...the Orient Express is more than a setting. The train itself is the story’s dominant character.” ZACH’s designers realize scenic designer Paul Tate DePoo III’s meticulously researched dimensions and décor of the train with striking accuracy. It’s a great choice that evokes both the spectacle and opulence of the train, while providing a palpable confinement to the tension of the story. You’d think this would also be confining for staging the play, but Lavery squeezes it for every sharp edge of tension it can provide.

Mysteries are by and large ensemble pieces, and that fact is evidenced here in superior talent. We recognize each character instantly, but no one settles for stereotype. Subtle, thoughtful choices give the ensemble depth, allowing the company to move with impressive clarity and cohesion. It’s a director’s dream cast, really.

While the show’s strength lies in its ensemble balance, I did find myself especially drawn to a few performances. Pounders’ Poirot, as mentioned, strikes all the right chords without overemphasizing eccentricities that might pull focus. Franco Rivera’s Michel is compelling, youthful, and sympathetic. André Martin is a formidable sidekick to Pounders’ Poirot. Rising to the top of a stellar cast is newcomer to the ZACH stage, Olivia D. Dawson. Her Helen is as appropriately hilariously obnoxious as an American in this setting can be, and her vocal talent makes the character irresistible. Don’t let that distract you though, her depth truly shows in the second act, where motives are revealed.

ZACH has assembled a constellation of superior talent for this production. From Monica Pasut’s costuming to Greg Emetaz’s Projection Design, every detail is flawless. Above all, Jenny Lavery’s direction holds it together with taut precision. Her work shines in the final moments of the play that land not as spectacle, but as meditation. The final moments are marked by a striking compositional simplicity. It’s a quiet, sobering tableau that lingers long after the train has stopped. And in the end, we’re reminded to hold the haunting tension between justice and law.

Agatha Christie's MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig
Zach Theatre

January 21 - March 01, 2026
Topfer Stage, ZACH
South Lamar Blvd at Riverside Drive
Austin, TX, 78704