Agatha Christie's Murder On The Orient Express Auditions

Name: Agatha Christie's Murder On The Orient Express Auditions
Start: 2025-07-28T18:30:00-04:00
End: 2025-07-28T19:30:00-04:00
Location: 30 Front St, Putnam, CT, United States, Connecticut 06260

Schedule

Mon Jul 28 2025 at 06:30 pm to 07:30 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

30 Front St, Putnam, CT, United States, Connecticut 06260 | Putnam, CT

Agatha Christie's Murder On The Orient Express
Adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig
Directors: Kathleen Atwood and Scott Guerin
Audition information:
Sunday, July 27 6:30-7:30 PM Bradley Theater
Monday, July 28 6:30-7:30 PM Bradley Theater
Time commitment:
Rehearsals: Sunday, Monday, Thursday 6:30-9 PM
Performance dates: October 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19
Character age range: F: Mid 20s-70 ; M: Mid 30s-65
AUDITION MATERIALS & REQUIREMENTS:
Please plan to arrive at the start time and stay until the end time. Arrive early for parking and paperwork.
Audition materials will be available in the drop-box outside the theater doors at least 2 weeks before the audition dates. Please only take one copy of the role(s) you are auditioning for.
We are actively seeking and welcoming actors of all races, ethnicity, national origin, religion, mental and physical abilities, sexual/affectional orientation, gender and its expression.
Should you have specific needs or you have questions or concerns, please contact Kathe Atwood at katwood7@icloud.com
SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon 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 detective Hercule Poirot to identify the murderer – in case he or she decides to strike again.
ROLES AVAILABLE WITH CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS:
Please note: The ages listed in the description are the characters' ages, not necessarily the actors' ages.
Accents noted are required for auditions. There are many resources on YouTube that can be of help.
Hercule Poirot (Male, 40-65): Belgian accent. Iconic character. Agatha Christie’s most famous detective. Poirot is fastidious, thorough, a touch ridiculous, and incredibly observant and intelligent. He is both arrogant and humble to fault. He is an observer of people, astute at analyzing why people behave as they do, and firmly believes that most crimes can be solved primarily by observation, psychology, and thinking them through. He values intelligence and the rule of law above all else.
Monsieur Bouc (Male, 40-65): Belgian accent. The owner of Wagon Lit, Orient Express. Bouc is a middle-aged man with a youthful vigor and attitude. Gregarious, honest and forthright, he puts his friends and customers above profit, although he is concerned about his company's image. He is not a match for Poirot in intelligence, however.
Mary Debenham (Female, mid 20s-30s): English (standard) accent. A governess. Anxious, but also cool and determined, Mary has a certain sadness about her, as well as many secrets. She is carrying on a secret affair with Colonel Arburthnot. Must be comfortable kissing on stage.
Colonel Arbuthnot (Male, mid 30s): Scottish accent. A military man of the old fashioned type, possibly old-money, and used to being obeyed without question. He is strong, charismatic, but also problematic in some of his personal views. Has a temper. Must be comfortable kissing on stage.
Hector MacQueen (Male, mid 20s-30s): American accent. Personal assistant and secretary to Samuel Ratchett, McQueen is a nervous character with a stutter that appears when he is especially anxious. Seems rather new to his profession. Talks a bit too much.
Michel/Head Waiter (Male, 40-55): French accent/Turkish accent. Competent and organized, Michel is the conductor for the first class carriages of the Orient Express. Handles himself well in a crisis, and is very good at his job. NOTE: This actor will double as the Head Waiter of the Tokatilian Hotel, and will also need to be able to do a Turkish accent.
Princess Dragomiroff (Female, 60s-70s): Russian accent. Displaced Russian nobility. The Princess is a battleship: determined, arrogant, and accustomed to getting her way. She travels a great deal and holds very decided opinions.
Greta Ohlsson (Female, 30s): Swedish accent. A Catholic missionary and baby nurse, currently serving as a companion to Princess Dragomiroff. She would like to help small children in Africa. Deeply devout. This character may be funny, but should not be played as a caricature for laughs.
Countess Andrenyi (Female, 25-35): Hungarian accent. In addition to being married to a count (and thus, nobility), she also is a doctor. Beautiful, educated, charming, and intelligent enough to match wits with Poirot. Must also be able to do an American accent.
Helen Hubbard (Female, 45-60): Harsh American accent. Not exactly what she seems, Hubbard comes across as a gregarious, loud, obnoxious American busybody who has been married multiple times. Must be able to sing and do a little dancing. Should also be able to pull off a cooler, more calculated version of this character with a very standard or even cultured American accent.
Samuel Rachett (Male, 35-50): American accent. A dangerous and unlikable man, full of entitlement, with a hair trigger temper. Must have a forceful personality, and come across as someone not to be trusted or crossed. As the murder victim, this actor may be required to remain on stage and still for an extended period of time.