Va Repertory Theater begins season with chilling rendition of Agatha Christie classic

Saanvi Vootla, Contributing Writer

Eight passengers aboard the Orient Express in the cold and winter-stricken Istanbul, thrills, revenge and a journey of romance await the audience in this theatrical adaptation of “Murder on the Orient Express.”

The show had its preview night on Sept. 11 and will run until Oct. 12. It is showing at the Sara Belle and Neil November Theater and is presented by the Virginia Repertory Theatre.

The crowd bustled into the theatre on preview night, filling nearly every seat, as they awaited the show’s start with bated breath. 

Hercule Poirot, the famous detective, boards the train at the request of his friend, the owner of the train company. Poirot, fascinated yet suspicious of the characters that fill the train, believes that something is wrong … someone does not fit in. 

Silence fills the train in the night between midnight and 2 a.m. — like the calm before a storm — as a murder takes place. 

The question arises: “Who killed Samuel Ratchett, otherwise known as Bruno Cassetti?”

With conflicting stories from the passengers about their whereabouts, the detective is unable to declare who the culprit is until a hidden truth is revealed.

The crowd was hooked from the very first scene, experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions from laughter to shock to sympathy. 

“‘Murder on the Orient Express,’ is a timeless title and we’ve been really happy with how the audiences have responded so far,” said Amy Wolf, the theatre’s director of marketing. “It’s always enjoyable as the director of marketing to have such beautiful stagecraft and luxurious costumes to photograph and video.”

Audience member Heidi Moss is an avid follower of theater. She is familiar with the original Agatha Christie novel, which led her to see the play. 

“I’ve read the book before, and I thought, ‘Why not watch the play?’” Moss said. “Agatha Christie is a brilliant writer, and I enjoyed this show. It was filled with suspense and humor, and it’s on my list of favorite shows below ‘Wicked’ and ‘Hamilton.’”

Everything from the set design to the dedicated actors and actresses made “Murder on the Orient Express” come to life. 

Cast member McLean Fletcher plays Swedish missionary Greta Ohlsson in the show. She has worked as a professional actor for around a decade, and has lived all over the U.S. and Australia for her work, but said she enjoys the community in Richmond.

“The theatre scene in Richmond is smaller compared to the bigger cities, but I find myself coming back to Richmond for various jobs because I really enjoy the community, and the quality of theatre here has grown immensely,” Fletcher said. 

It is exciting to see how the theatre family in Richmond will continue to grow, according to Fletcher. 

To find out the unexpected ending to this play, watch other shows directed by Rick Hammerly or purchase your tickets, visit the Virginia Repertory Theatre website (va-rep.org).