Imagine you have boarded the sumptuous Orient Express as it travels from Istanbul to Western Europe in the dead of winter, 1934.  Shortly after midnight, a snowdrift strands the luxurious train, which is surprisingly full for this time of the year.  By morning, there is one passenger fewer.  An American businessman lies dead in his compartment, stabbed eight times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, the passengers rely on famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot to unravel the mystery before the perpetrator strikes again.  Thus begins the mystery by acclaimed novelist and playwright, Agatha Christie.

Agatha Christie (1890-1976) wrote 66 novels and 20 plays.  Her novels have sold 2 billion copies around the world outsold by only the Bible and Shakespeare.  Christie’s play The Mousetrap is the longest running play in the world. She is the only female playwright to have three of her plays running simultaneously in London’s West End. These were The Mousetrap, Witness for the Prosecution and Spider’s Web.

Amber Babcock is delighted to direct this fascinating play and reveals the cast is made up of talented, veteran actors.  Amber notes that Agatha Christie’s genius shines through in this beautifully written script by Tony Award winning playwright and director Ken Ludwig.  Ludwig’s brilliant adaptation premiered in 2017 and has since been performed in Austria, China, The Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Japan and the United Kingdom.

Hercule Poirot is played by Shawn Havranek who was recently seen as Andre Bouville in Stage Right’s Neil Simon’s The Dinner Party at the Crighton Theatre.  He also portrayed Charlie in The Foreigner at the Owen Theatre and Falstaff in Merry Wives of Windsor for the Conroe Bardfest. These are only a few of the roles he has undertaken.  He also steps into the role of director from time to time.  Also in the cast is Shawn’s wife, Dina Havranek who portrayed Gabrielle in Neil’s Simon’s The Dinner Party.  Rounding out the cast are Robert Faber, Marilyn Moore, Christina Sato, Jennifer Marshall, Caleb Glass, Amy Sowers, Donna Wheaton and Jacob Evans.

The opening show in Stage Right’s 2022-23 season, Murder on the Orient Express runs from September 9-25, 2022 

at the historic Crighton Theatre, 

234 N. Main in downtown Conroe.  

Please note that this show begins at 7:30 as will all our evening shows this season.  Matinees will begin at 2:00. 

Tickets may be purchased by calling the Crighton Theatre Box Office at 

(936)441-7469 or go to stage-right.org to purchase tickets online.