By CARRIE NEAL
A Seat on the Aisle
The statistics continue to astound: Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time. Her work has been translated into over 100 languages, with more than two billion books published, and outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare.
I became a fan at a young age, introduced to Christie’s books as an elementary schooler. As luck would have it, my second-grade teacher was Miss Sharples (not Miss Marple but close), a British expat who was also a huge Christie fan. We’d trade reviews at recess, and eventually she gave me a notebook for my own mystery stories. So as a lifelong devotee of Agatha Christie’s mysteries, my hopes for this production were high.
Detective Hercule Poirot (Larry Adams) comforts passenger Greta Ohlsson (Nicole Sherlock). (Photo by Rob Slaven / IndyGhostLight.com)
Anyone who has attended a production at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way, Carmel, is aware of the limitations of the space, which has a very small stage and a long, narrow construct for audience seating. These limitations actually work surprisingly well within the framework of Murder on the Orient Express, with the compact set adeptly conveying the cramped nature of actual train carriages.
In any Christie mystery, the most important character is the detective attempting to solve the case, in this instance Hercule Poirot. As Poirot, Larry Adams rarely leaves the stage and has an innate understanding of the character, as well as delightful comic timing. My only quibble would be some minor inconsistencies with his accent, and in fact the production as a whole would have benefited from a dialect coach (at least, there was none credited in the program).
Among the uniformly strong cast, there are two particular standouts deserving of special mention: Earl Campbell as Monsieur Bouc, with an impeccable accent and delivery, and Vickie Phipps as Helen Hubbard. Ms. Phipps absolutely steals the show with her deadpan comedic talents, but also demonstrates real emotional depth during more serious moments.
Reactions from Monsieur Bouc (Earl Campbell) and Helen Hubbard (Vickie Phipps). (Photo by Rob Slaven / IndyGhostLight.com)
Director Lori Raffel must be complimented on the pacing of the piece; for most of the play, things clip along just as they should and are very entertaining. Unfortunately, the pace slows a bit during the denouement, and the play loses some of its urgency. Another noteworthy element that must be complimented is the charming program centerpiece, complete with a full-color map and headshots and descriptions of each character, accompanied by the flag from their country of origin.
CCP’s Murder on the Orient Express, performed at The Cat Theatre in Carmel, continues for just one more weekend, Aug. 10 to 13. As the entire opening weekend was a sellout, don’t delay in getting your tickets if you wish to see this well-done production. Tickets may be purchased online at carmelplayers.org.
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