Review: Agatha Christie’s MURDER ON THE LINKS at TRT-An Absorbing Mystery

“Be methodical, the secret to success.” by Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Links  

Do you love a mystery with fascinating characters and lots of intrigue?  Then plan to attend the world premiere production of Agatha’s Christie’s Murder on the Links now at Two River Theater (TRT) through October 5th. The show has been ingeniously adapted for the stage and directed by  Darko Tresnjak. The multi-talented eight-member cast is perfect to bring the play to life and keep you on the edge of your seat.  We attended a weekend matinee when the audience gave the show a well-deserved standing ovation!

Agatha Christie is the best-selling fiction writer of all time, selling over two billion copies of her sixty-six mystery novels.  Murder on the Links was published in 1923 and like all her works, has a timeless appeal. In the story, renowned detective Hercule Poirot receives a letter from Paul Renauld desperately requesting his services at a chateau in northern France.  Poirot arrives to find a dead body with a knife stuck in its back at a local golf course. Madame Renauld soon identifies the deceased as her husband, Paul Renauld. But who committed such a violent murder? Working closely with his associate, Sergent de Ville, Poirot begins an in-depth investigation by questioning Madame Renauld, her son Jack, as well as Madame Dubois and her daughter Marthe Dubois. With his signature intuition, Hercule Poirot perseveres to unravel the many mysterious happenings.

The all-star cast features actors who are the best of the best.  They include Kate Baldwin as Madame Renauld; Maria Bilbao as Marthe DuBois; Hiram Delgado as Sergent de Ville; José Espinosa as Jack Renauld; Jason O'Connell as Commissary Lucien Bex; Campbell Scott as Hercule Poirot; Lauren Worsham as Madame Dubois; and the voice of Patrick Page as Paul Renauld. They master the play’s intense, unique characters in true Agatha Christie style. The play is absorbing from the first moment when Madame Renault and Madame Dubois are singing on the stage, until the last when Hercule Poirot astutely discloses his findings..

We want to recount some of the captivating scenes without giving away the surprise ending.  There are compelling ones such as Hercule Poirot arriving in France and greeting his associate, Sergent de Ville; Madame Renauld describing the scene when her husband was abducted; Commissary Lucien Bex going into the grave on the golf course to turn the corpse over; Jack Renauld suddenly returning home to the surprise of his mother; Madame Dubois’ indignance over being questioned; and Jack and Marthe’s romantic liaison. The voice of Paul Renauld is cleverly used in the play to depict past events.

The Creative Team has done a marvelous job of bringing the show to the Red Bank stage and developing the right ambiance for the mystery.  The Team includes scenic design by Alexander Dodge; costume design by Jess Goldstein; lighting design by Pablo Santiago; sound design is by Megumi Katayama; and wig, hair and makeup design is by J. Jared Janas.  The Music Supervisor/Composer is Oran Eldor; the Fight Director is Gerardo Rodriguez; and the Dialect Coach is Claudia Hill-Sparks.  The Stage Manager is Alison Cote and the Assistant Stage Manager Mikayla Bettner. Casting is by Caparelliotis Casting/David Caparelliotis and Joseph Gery.

Murder on the Links opens Two River Theater’s 2025-2026 Season with a show that will please mystery fans and many more with its twists and turns.  For the first time, all 5 of the Theater’s productions will be World Premieres.  We applaud Artistic Director, Justin Waldman and Managing Director Nora DeVeau-Rosen for kicking off the season with a sure fire hit!

Two River Theater is located at 21 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank, NJ  07701. Murder on the Links has a run time of 90 minutes and one 15-minute intermission.  Tickets for show and the other productions in the upcoming season can be ordered by visiting Two River Theater or calling 732.345.1400.

Photo Credit: Andy Henderson