Review: MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS at Pioneer Theatre Company Whisks Away the Audience

Pioneer Theatre Company’s production of Agatha Christie’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS whisks the audience away to an engaging evening.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS by Ken Ludwig, adapted from the favorite novel by Agatha Christie, is a murder mystery set on the fabled Orient Express train in the 1930s.  When famed detective Hercule Poirot, who is fortuitously on board, sets out to discover the perpetrator of a passenger’s murder, he unravels a web of strange connections, coincidences, and circumstances.

The proficient actors have been directed by Melissa Rain Anderson to exude a mixture of brooding mystery and broad comedy.

John Tufts leads the proceedings with both pomp and humanity as Hercule Poirot. 

The remainder of the professional ensemble cast includes Anne Tolpegin as Helen Hubbard, Gisela Chípe as Countess Andrenyi, Bonnie Black as Princess Dragomiroff, Matthew McGloin as Hector MacQueen, Edward Juvier as Monsieur Bouc, Andrea Morales as Mary Debenham, Robert Scott Smith as Colonel Arbuthnot/Samuel Rachett, Amy Bodnar as Greta Ohlsson, and Alec Ruiz as Michel the Conductor/Head Waiter.

The scenic design by Jason Simms is an impressive expression of a series of train cars that elegantly slide in and out of frame. 

The lighting by Jaymi Lee Smith is at times subtle, at times garish, and incredibly impactful in its starring moment in the finale as it brings focus to character flashbacks.

The costume design by Phillip R. Lowe and hair/makeup by Tami Lee Thompson carry the characters back to the 1930s, and the laudable individual miking of the actors by sound designer Elton Bradman ensures they are heard.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS plays through October 7, 2023. For tickets, call the box office at 801-581-6961 or visit www.pioneertheatre.org.

Photo Credit: BW Productions