KLT: Murder on the Orient Express

By Beth James

Looking for something different to do to get through these cold, boring, humdrum winter days and nights? How does glamour, intrigue, suspense, and a murder mystery sound? The weekends of February 21 and 28 will be filled with all these things in the Fitzpatrick Auditorium at Kernersville Elementary as Kernersville Little Theatre presents Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, adapted as a stage play by Ken Ludwig.


At the center of the play is Agatha Christie’s famous detective Hercule Poirot, traveling in a second-class compartment on the Orient Express train, due to no more first-class berths on the sold-out train, which is traveling from Istanbul to London. There is a mélange of travelers onboard, from all over the world. On the first night of the trip, a murder occurs, as the train becomes stranded due to a massive snowstorm, with no way for anyone to board or leave. It is therefore up to Poirot to uncover the murderer, possibly before they strike again. A possible motive is uncovered, false identities are invalidated, and two possible solutions are proposed, before the truth is uncovered.


Agatha Chistie, who as a writer has only been outsold by the Bible and Shakespeare, is the best-selling novelist of all time. She is best known for sixty-six detective movies but also wrote fourteen short story collections. Hercule Piorot is her most famous character. The story itself has been the subject of no less than four film iterations, in 1974, 2001, 2006, and 2017. Ken Ludwig, an American playwright, author, screenwriter, and director, has had six productions on Broadway, and one of his thirty-four plays or musicals is staged throughout the U.S. and the world every night of the year. This play was commissioned by Agatha Christie Limited in 2015 and debuted in 2017. It was the first stage play featuring Hercule Piorot to premiere in over seventy-five years.


Directing Murder on the Orient Express is Susan Proctor, who directed Proof for KLT in the fall of 2022. Susan has been directing for forty years in community, university, and professional theatres in Oklahoma, Maryland, D.C., Missouri, and now the Triad. She has an MFA in Directing from Catholic University, and an Interdisciplinary PH.D. in Theatre, English, and Sociology from the University of Oklahoma. In her notes, Susan says, “I have been a life-long Agatha Christie fan. I may have read everything ascribed to her. When I saw the possibility of directing Murder on the Orient Express, I was immediately at the website applying for the job.” She enjoys working with the KLT, which she finds has excellent designers, technical people, and actors. “This cast is especially loveable,” Susan says, but suggests that audiences think “dark, angry, complicated, funny, deco, Poirot, and Christie,” when they come to enjoy the show.


Part of the design team for Murder is John Shea, most recently seen on the KLT stage as Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street. John is designing the set, no small task given the interesting connections within the train, and the challenge of working within the parameters of the school’s stage. He is a jack-of-all-theatre-trades, having been an actor, set and sound designer, director, and stage manager, over the past fifteen years in the Triad, and previously in the Washington, DC area. Favorite roles he has played include Lear in King Lear and Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street, and rewarding stage managing stints have been as diverse as Mary Poppins and Ripcord.


The cast and crew are a mix of local KLT and Triad actors and “techies.” There was a huge turn-out for auditions, meaning Susan was faced with some difficult decisions. Hercule Piorot will be played by Carl Grasso, Archie Collins will portray Monsieur Bouc, Janea Platt takes on Mary Debenham, and Samuel Ratchett is being played by Nic Kursonis. Several of these cast and crew members were last in Miracle on 34th Street, as well as other shows in local Triad community theatre productions. Production team members include Beth Strader as Stage Manager, with Kate Trent overseeing Props, both of whom acted in Miracle on 34th Street, and KLT award winner Joanne Jay as costume designer. Lighting is being handled by Brittany Carter. A small ensemble of KLT regulars will double as stagehands.


Performances will be held in the Fitzpatrick Auditorium on the campus of Kernersville Elementary School, at 512 West Mountain Street, which is handicapped accessible. There will be four evening performances, each at 7:30PM, on February 21, 22, 28, and March 1, and two matinees at 2:00PM on February 23 and March 2. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $20 for Adults, $18 for Seniors and Students. Children’s tickets are $8, but this show is not recommended for children under 12 – think of it as having a PG-13 rating. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time through OnTheStage.com, or by calling the KLT office at 336-993-6556 (which can also provide more information, if needed).

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