If you are going to be killed, there are two really fine places for the deed. One is an English country house, the other is the Orient Express. Agatha Christie had a field day with both.
This is the theatrical version of the famous 1934 book, Murder on the Orient Express, and perhaps even more famous series of movies that it spawned. The stage production at the Hill Country Community Theatre (near Marble Falls) was adapted by famed American playwright Ken Ludwig.
In an exclusive interview for Sun News Austin, the director, Charlie Hukill, shared his thoughts on the production. He is Professor Emeritus of Theatre at McMurry University in Abilene.
“This story is most often told in the cinema and does not easily lend itself to staging. It is especially problematic in a small performance space with limited resources. Pacing is very important in a play such as this and having multiple scene changes only slows forward momentum. Thus, it is necessary to keep scenery to a minimum and focus on the acting. Daniel Melton, the Artistic Director of HCCT and the Scene Designer for this production, has done an excellent job of providing a minimalistic design and orchestrating precise, rapid scene shifts.
“It has also been necessary to utilize actors to facilitate these changes and the cast has whole-heartedly pitched in to help. We worked hard in rehearsals to keep the play moving and not lose energy as a result of the cinematic nature of the script. I am very proud of the cast and their investment in the characters and the story. Without giving too much away for those who are not familiar with the story, there is a play within a play aspect to it and the actors rose to the challenge. All in all, it has been a very rewarding endeavor for me and I hope audiences appreciate the dedication and hard work of the cast and crew.”
The production has a long list of actors, led by Pierre Minjauw as Hercule Poirot. As a singer, songwriter and actor, Minjauw brings the proper degree sartorial elegance and insufferable pride to the famous Belgian detective of Christie’s imagination. The ensemble cast, as Hukill described, are real troopers here. An entirely believable cast of international misfits on a train stuck in the snow: with a dead body.
I must give particular credit to Christine Jones, who is not only the Stage Manager, but the artistic genius behind the poster/programme front cover. A rather ghostly-looking train puffing red smoke is quite evocative.
The plot is either too well-known to summarise here, or, for the young, too convoluted to disentangle. Like Hukill, I don’t want to give anything away. How Poirot solves the murder is worth the fare for the train ride, so be sure to see the production this week! It is excellent.
Murder on the Orient Express runs thru Feb. 23, 2025. Visit www.thehcct.org for tickets