Hercule Poirot is headed to Melbourne next year to solve a rather iconic mystery. Producer John Frost will bring Ken Ludwig’s stage adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express to Australia, opening at the Comedy Theatre in June 2027.
The production is presented in association with Fiery Angel and Agatha Christie Limited, and arrives after touring the UK, Ireland and Mainland China. It also follows John Frost’s previous Australian tours of Christie’s The Mousetrap and And Then There Were None.
The story is set in the winter of 1934, when an avalanche brings the Orient Express to a halt. An American tycoon is discovered dead in his locked compartment, stabbed eight times. With the train stranded in the snow and a killer somewhere on board, the passengers look to Hercule Poirot to solve the crime before the journey can continue.
John Frost shared why he wanted to bring the production to Australian audiences:
Agatha Christie is one of the greatest writers of all time, and I’m thrilled to present this wonderful stage adaptation of one of her most celebrated works, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. Stylish, fast-paced and darkly witty, Lucy Bailey’s production blends the intrigue of a classic whodunit with sparkling humour. With brilliant direction, stunning design and opulent costumes, it promises to be the must-see theatrical event of 2027. I challenge audiences to unravel this seemingly impossible murder before Poirot does!
The production is directed by British theatre director Lucy Bailey. She has directed several Agatha Christie mysteries for the stage, including the West End production of Witness for the Prosecution. Bailey described the tone she has brought to the show
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS is fast, funny almost farcical at times but with a dark undercurrent of loss and revenge… A train stuck in a snow drift. The holed-up passengers all suspected of murder – what fun to be had!
The creative team also includes set and costume designer Mike Britton, lighting designer Oliver Fenwick, movement director Leah Hausman, sound designer Mic Pool and video designer Ian William Galloway. James Prichard of Agatha Christie Limited, who is the author’s great-grandson, spoke about bringing the adaptation to Australia:
We’re excited to bring Ken Ludwig’s magnificent adaptation of one of my great grandmother’s most atmospheric and ingenious stories to Australia, working with John Frost, the team at Fiery Angel and director Lucy Bailey.
Casting and further tour venues will be announced in early 2027. A waitlist offering priority ticket access is open now via the production’s official Australian website, with general public tickets to go on sale starting 12 November 2026.
