Agatha Christie classic rolling into Theatre Aquarius
Murder on the Orient Express combines mystery, glamour and opulence, along with timely themes of humanity and evil. The play is fun and larger than life, says star Daniel Kash.
When Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express rolls into Hamilton, it will bring a classic murder mystery amid 1930s glamour on a celebrated train crossing Europe to the stage at Theatre Aquarius.
This story is considered one of the greatest by the master of mystery, who wrote 66 detective novels and is second only to William Shakespeare in book sales. American playwright Ken Ludwig injected comedy into the mystery when he adapted the novel into a stage production, which premiered in Princeton, New Jersey in 2017.
The story in a nutshell, according to Theatre Aquarius: “Detective Hercule Poirot is aboard the Orient Express when an unlikeable wealthy American is murdered. As the debonair detective investigates, he encounters a cast of intriguing passengers, including the glamorous Mrs. Hubbard and the enigmatic Princess Dragomiroff. With his unparalleled eye for detail and keen instincts, Poirot uncovers secrets and motives as he seeks the truth behind the murder in this suspenseful tale of deception, revenge and justice.”
Strong early ticket sales show how much this story endures. Theatre Aquarius has extended the run by eight days.
Murder on the Orient Express is entertaining and larger than life, says veteran actor Daniel Kash, who plays Christie’s brilliant and fastidious detective.
Taking on this character is a tall task, he told HAMILTON CITY Magazine.
“There's a lot of words in this play. And not only that, I'm up against the history of the play. And I can tell you, there are people who know this play inside out.”
A challenge is that this is a whodunit where much of the audience knows who did it thanks to the book and four film and TV versions.
“So that's the game, to keep them with you. And so it’s a wink, wink, nod, nod kind of play that is really, really fun.”
But there are plenty of deeper themes about the nature of humanity, evil, and human motives, in addition to clever innuendo, playful banter, and unapologetic luxury, says Kash. The play is set in 1934, a time of fear and confusion, much as we face today as authoritarianism rises in the United States, along with the “othering” of marginalized groups, and government forces using violence to round up and detain immigrants.
The setting of the play – a snowed-in train – builds a feeling of claustrophobia. After all, these characters are stuck together with a murderer among them.
“These strangers are brought together in the closest quarters for three days, eating and sleeping under a single roof. They're stuck together in small train cars,” says Kash.
The staging will involve an opulent train built onto a constantly moving revolve in the stage, allowing the action to move from car to car.
Kash, who was born in Montreal and grew up in Toronto, has a long list of acting credits, but he says he is best known for his roles in Aliens and Camp Rock 2. He’s also performed in Mama, The Line, Casino Jack, The Shipping News, The Hunting Party, Murdoch Mysteries, Brilliant Minds, Star Trek, Bad Blood, Orphan Black, and With Great Pride.
His theatre credits include Jerusalem, Unidentified Human Remains, Rigolletto, The End Of Civilization, Comedy Of Errors, Donut City, Cruel And Tender, Blood Brothers, The Constant Wife, Macbeth, Othello, Merchant, and Joan Of Arc.
He is making his Theatre Aquarius debut.
Kash has plenty of great stories to tell. He was a roommate of acclaimed English actor and Academy Award winner Colin Firth when they both attended the Drama Centre London and the two remain close friends. Mike Myers slept on his couch in London for six months after getting fired from Second City. Kash’s first-ever audition was in front of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Trevor Nunn for Starlight Express, the musical on rollerskates. He made an impression after crashing trying to jump over chairs but ultimately didn’t get the role because he didn’t have his working papers in order.
Kash showed up to an audition for Aliens on crutches after a flag football game went wrong and wearing a puffy, astronaut-type jacket.
“So I go in and I'm reading a portion of Bill Paxton's part. There were these two people doing the audition, and I was pretty cocky. I told them I didn't care about film; I just wanted to be a theatre actor. And I was pushing them around, going, ‘Listen, if you give me this part, then it should be rewritten’ … Anyway, the guy says to me, ‘I'll give you the part if you give me the jacket.’”
Turns out the two on the audition were blockbuster director James Cameron and Gale Ann Hurd, the producer of Aliens, which marks its 40th anniversary this year.
“So many people actually really care about that movie. I lucked out in a way, being part of a movie that people really love. And so that's a big, weird feature of my life.”
A recent highlight for Kash was acting with his sister Linda Kash, an accomplished actor herself, (Pollyanna at Theatre Aquarius) in Estelle Singerman - Summer Night, With Unicorn at the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company in Toronto. The siblings, children of famed opera singer Maureen Forrester and violinist Eugene Kash, had never acted in a play together before.
Later this year, Kash will strike another item off his bucket list when he takes on the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof at Rainbow Stage in Winnipeg.
“And so it's a great theatre year for me to go from Poirot to Tevye.”
Joining Kash are stage veterans, including Nora McLellan, Mark Crawford, Martin Happer, and the production’s director Morris Panych. There are Hamilton connections, too.
Kristen Peace, who plays Countess Andrenyi, has a long list of theatre credits, including Spamalot, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Rock of Ages, Legally Blonde, Anne of Green Gables, Les Misérables, Come From Away and Kimberly Akimbo.
Other local talent on the stage are Brendan Wall as Monsieur Bouc (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Once, Warhorse, Death of a Salesman, The Rainmaker) and Stephen Gallagher as Head Waiter/The Conductor (Disney’s Frozen: The Broadway Musical, Fully Committed, Pollyanna, The Gig, The Sound of Music, all at Theatre Aquarius).
NEED TO KNOW
Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express
March 4 to 29
Theatre Aquarius, 190 King William St., Hamilton
Tickets here
Run time: 120 minutes, including intermission
March 5: Clues, Cues, and a Killer, a pre-show chat with Mary Francis Moore and Kelly Straughan
March 18: Encore! Encore! A post-show chat with members of Agatha Christie’s Murder On The Orient Express Company
