The Community Players of Concord, NH to present Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express

Concord, NH – All aboard! You are in for a thrilling ride when Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, newly adapted for the stage by Tony Award winning playwright Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor) pulls away from Istanbul station at the Concord City Auditorium on November 18, 19 and 20, 2022. 

It is winter, 1934 and the luxurious Orient Express passenger train, surprisingly full for the time of year, is hurtling down the tracks in a heavy snowstorm when its journey is suddenly halted by a snowdrift, trapping everyone aboard. An American tycoon is found stabbed in his bed, door locked from the inside. The famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, happens to be a passenger and is pressed to solve the mystery in case the killer decides to strike again.  Poirot’s fellow passengers – a stylish, international cast of characters including a colonel, a princess, and a countess – are all suspects, but all have alibis. With plenty of twists and turns heightening the suspense, this famous whodunnit takes the audience on a ride they won’t soon forget.

First published in 1934, Murder on the Orient Express is widely regarded as one of Agatha Christie’s greatest literary achievements. After decades of refusing requests to allow the enduring novel to be adapted as a stage play, the Agatha Christie Estate approached Ken Ludwig, a legendary master of stage farce, to do just that.  Ludwig’s adaptation brilliantly infuses the glamour, intrigue, and suspense of the original masterpiece with healthy doses of wit, charm, and humor. The result: a captivating blend of crime and comedy that will leave audiences thoroughly entertained.

The Community Players’ production is directed by Elizabeth Lent and features a cast of seasoned community actors, including Jim Gocha in the role of Poirot, joined by Chris Demers, Nora McBurnett, Griffin Stuart, Dana Sackos, Cindy Dickinson, Kathyrn Giddins, Katharine Demers, Anne Orio, Nathan Osburn, Kevin Guimond, and Kaj Hache. 

Performance details:

Friday and Saturday, November 18 and 19 at 7:30 pm; Sunday, November 20 at 2:00 pm

Performances at Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince Street, Concord, NH

Tickets $20 (Seniors/Juniors $18) (or $16 with purchase of tickets to this and at least one other Players show this season)

Purchase online at www.communityplayersofconcord.org, or at the box office 

Box Office hours: November 13, 1:00-5:00 pm; November 17 & 18, 4:30-7:30 pm; Nov. 19, 6:00-7:30 pm; Nov. 20, 12:30-2:00 pm.

Box Office phone: (603) 228-2793

For more information, contact box office chair David Murdo at nhdm40@comcast.net or (603) 344-4747

The Concord City Auditorium is fully open. Check our website for current COVID protocols

Contact:   Publicity volunteer Ellen Burger, Ellen.burger@communityplayersofconcord.org, (603) 344-1444;  

                 or Director Elizabeth Lent, Bettylent54@gmail.com, (603) 496-2179