Review: MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS at ASB Theatre, Auckland

Why do mysteries grab us? Auckland Theatre Company creatively crafts  Ken Ludwig’s adaption of Agatha Christie’s whodunnit -  and brings to lavish life the inherent fascination we have with the detective mystery genre. Drawn in immediately by dynamic  dramatic and cinematic opening moments , the audience watches as the linear plot of MURDER OF THE ORIENT EXPRESS unfolds in spectacular and opulent fashion.  It’s 1934 and we are aboard the most luxurious train in the world, en route to Istanbul from Paris when it is caught in a snow storm .

Superb lighting, sound and innovative set design combine with a talented cast  who embody a range of characters all skilled at disguising their true identities and motives. The production features an exceptional cast of Aotearoa’s finest: Rima Te Wiata, Jennifer Ludlam, Mirabai Pease, Sophie Henderson, and Bronwyn Ensor, with Cameron Rhodes as Hercule Poirot, and Mayen Mehta, Ryan O’Kane, Jordan Selwyn and Edwin Wright cementing the lineup of suspects.  Every nuance, every tone, every movement is there for us to unpack. 

Deftly directed by accalimed theatre practitioner Shane Bosher, the writing of Christie and Ludwig are both captured and executed with finesse. Witty, quick and fascinating. The train itself is a legend with "fillings from Paris, the best feathers in the pillows, its poetry on wheels." The creative team John Verryt (Set design), Sean Lynch (Lighting Design), Elizabeth Whiting (Costume Design) , Paul McLaney (Sound Design) have embodied the dramatic and cinematic elements of the luxurious lavish era with ingenuity, interpretative vision, a rich and elegant soundtrack and truth. 

When the puzzle pieces fit perfectly together in the ending, we are delighted by the logic, the closure and the sense of a moral compass.

With just a handful of single tickets left for its current season, Auckland Theatre Company’s Murder on the Orient Express is the biggest box office hit in the company’s history.

So due to overwhelming demand, audiences will have a second chance to climb aboard the world’s most infamous train. The return season of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig, will play at the ASB Waterfront Theatre from 7 – 15 February 2026.

If you've been unucky and not got aboard, book now for the next season.