Adapting acclaimed playwright Ken Ludwig’s razor-sharp take on Christie’s original, Bosher transforms the stage into a cinematic fever dream of intrigue and glamour. From the moment the lights flash and a sultry noir-jazz score kicks in, you’re transported aboard the luxurious and deadly Orient Express, where the world’s most famous detective, Monsieur Hercule Poirot, is thrust into a murder investigation with eight suspicious passengers, each hiding secrets and sinister motives.

Bosher’s production is a masterclass in theatrical spectacle, mixing Hitchcockian tension with screwball wit and a relentless pace that keeps you hooked from the first clue to the final reveal. It’s stylish, fast, and absolutely intoxicating.

At the heart of this thrill ride is Cameron Rhodes, who slips effortlessly into the iconic role of Poirot. Suave, meticulous, and armed with a razor-sharp intellect, Rhodes commands the stage with a performance that is both playful and profound. His Poirot is equal parts dapper showman and forensic genius, and he doesn’t miss a beat, whether delivering a tightly coiled monologue or breaking into a cheeky bit of improvised charm. He is the anchor in this whirlwind of deceit, and his presence elevates every scene.

Surrounding Rhodes is a dream ensemble of New Zealand talent firing on all cylinders. Sophie Henderson brings smouldering mystique as Countess Andrenyi, while Mirabei Pease is grace and warmth as Mary Debanham. Bronwyn Ensor has audiences in stitches as the adorably awkward Greta Ohlsson, and Rima Te Wiata delivers a scene-stealing turn as the bold and unpredictable Helen Hubbard: a role packed with misdirection and mischief.

Together, this cast pulses with chemistry, delivering crackling dialogue and emotionally charged moments that make the stage feel alive and unpredictable. The design work is equally stunning: bold lighting, sleek sets, and noir-inspired staging create a visual language that feels as immersive as film. It’s theatre that feels like cinema, where every moment is stylised, punchy, and dripping with suspense.

Simply put, this is live theatre at its boldest and most captivating. Murder on the Orient Express is a thrilling, stylish, and wildly entertaining production that pulls you deep into its tangled web of lies and leaves you breathless by the final bow. It’s everything you want from a night out: mystery, glamour, and a damn good time.

Auckland Theatre Company’s Murder on the Orient Express runs until Saturday, May 10, before returning for a fresh new season in February 2026. Don’t miss your ticket to this first-class mystery—it’s one of the year’s most unmissable theatrical events.

Purchase your tickets here.

The post Auckland Theatre Company Presents: Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express – A Killer Night at the Theatre appeared first on SpicyPulp.

The peace and tranquility that was temporarily present on the S.S. Karnak is destroyed after one of the passengers is found murdered. Renowned Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is entrusted with the important task of identifying which one of the passengers is the killer before they strike again.

Returning once more to the big screen as the dapper and inquisitive Hercule Poirot is Sir Kenneth Branagh, and the world-renowned thespian and director pulls out all the stops with a must-watch adaptation of Agatha Christie’s famed story Death on the Nile. Taking audiences to the exotic landscape of Egypt, circa 1936 and the mystery of the Nile River, Branagh establishes a stylish, slick, sexy and sinister new sequel to his hit 2017 adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express and in doing so continues the adventures of the grand Poirot. And what an experience it is. Painting a lavish portrait on his cinema canvas, Branagh crafts a film that is beautiful to look upon and entices you in with a twisting and complex narrative that changes the rules at every turn and which will have you clutching the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

Serving as both lead actor and director, Branagh has intimate knowledge of the world of Agatha Christie and her charismatic detective, Monsieur Hercule Poirot and in Death in the Nile he is able to focus on further character development of the great detective while showcasing a dangerous new crime that will test the detective’s skills and intellect right to the edge. As a filmmaker, Branagh is a man who is in love with the scope, scale and possibilities that the movie theatre provides and make no mistake Death on the Nile must be seen on the big screen. With a talented cast and team at his side, Branagh makes Death at the Nile an utterly incredible work to watch on the big screen and he spares no expense in bringing the glamourous world of an exotic Egypt of the 1930s to life. Costuming and production, hair and make-up, visual effects and score all come together to bring the heat and passion of this story to the big screen and you’ll find yourself transported to a far away time and place and it’s an utterly marvellous watch.

Where his work on Murder on the Orient Express was more in keeping with the classic murder-mystery, here in Death on the Nile, Branagh turns the heat up and this film is a pure thriller in every sense of the word. Dripping with sex appeal and seduction, Death on the Nile is a firey and passionate film that gets under your skin, and soon a deadly game of murder is afoot and everyone aboard the glamourous and exotic cruise line, S.S. Karnac, is a suspect. While Branagh does take his time with the narrative he moves quickly and sets up the jealousies and resentments that set the story in motion, and gives this film a steely noir edge that makes the proceeding story extremely interesting to watch. Branagh moves from left to right and his talented cast keeps you hooked and your mind running in puzzles and you won’t want to look away as the body count rises and Poirot is pushed to the limits to solve the case.

As this is the second time around, Branagh also allows himself the ability to draw out Hercule Poirot’s character development and fans of the character will be in for a treat as to what mysteries he brings to the screen. One particularly notable scene reveals itself as an origin of sorts and it’s incredibly interesting to see Poirot’s intellect and curiosity form. Audiences will be in for a definite treat with this further exploration of the dapper detective and it’s very fun to see two sides to this famous character. One is the aloof, suave, dandyish man of the world who basks in his worldly travels, expensive meals and quality beverages, the other is a committed, and frenzied bloodhound who becomes downright dangerous when he’s stuck into a case and it’s a great juxtaposition to watch unfold on screen. Branagh has the ability to easily snap back and forth between the two personas of Poirot and it makes his performance very interesting to watch.

As a director, Branagh has also assembled an incredible cast to bring Death on the Nile to life and there are real standouts amongst its rank. Gal Gadot brings a radiant glamour as heiress Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle and there’s a flamboyant style and interesting two-faced quality to her performance. Gadot is sharp and lustful as Linnet and she portrays her as a woman used to getting what she wants and whose actions have also brought her scornful enemies at the same time. Opposite Gadot is Emma Mackey as Jacqueline de Bellefort, a sophisticated and dangerous femme fatale who has it in for Gadot’s Linnet and Mackey keeps her cards close to the chest as this haughty, debonair character. Russell Brand makes a complete and total transformation as the good Dr. Linus Windlesham, polished and pressed in an array of perfectly tailored suits it’s a real turnaround for him as a performer and he brings an interesting perspective to the story. Then there’s Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French as Marie Van Schuyler, a socialite turned communist and her nurse-companion Mrs. Bowers and the two of them keep the plot interesting.

Death on the Nile is a cinematic thriller that is both beautiful and intense at the same time and audiences who are seeking a grand adventure will be transported back in time thanks to its grand production, sensational narrative and marvellously rendered characters. It’s a movie-going experience worthy of the big screen and audiences will have a glorious time when they buy a ticket for this exotic ride.

Image: 20th Century Studios

The post ‘Death on the Nile’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Having completed a case, world-famous private detective Hercule Poirot (Sir Kenneth Branagh), decides that a well deserved holiday is in order. And so the debonair detective boards the famed Orient Express for a bit of R&R. But when a shocking murder occurs on the train, Poirot finds his holiday interrupted and is flung into a race against time to find the murderer before they strike again.

Branagh’s envisioning of Murder on the Orient Express is blockbuster filmmaking at its finest. The esteemed director and thespian channels the grandiose dramatic epics of the 1930s and 1940s with his adaptation of this classic tale. Everything is shot in camera and Branagh makes the most of his enormous set piece, The Orient Express herself. While there may be a detective, a victim and twelve different suspects, the Orient Express is just as much a character, and Branagh and his team explore much of its exotic structure in considerable detail throughout the film.

World-building plays a significant part in Murder on the Orient Express and Branagh and his team take audiences back to the by-gone era of the early 1930s. This world is informed by elegance and glamour and Branagh shows all of it up on screen. The set-building and production design of Jim Clay recreates the first class decadence of travelling on the Orient Express and every detail is catered to perfectly, from the placement of the most delicate antique furniture to ample servings of champagne and the finest gourmet dining options. Murder on the Orient Express is a piece of cinema that most definitely sets your senses on fire, and you can’t help but imagine yourself seated on this grand train.

The film also excels thanks to its stunning costuming, which have been provided by Academy Award Winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne, who captures the exquisite first-class lifestyle of the film’s principal characters. There’s an ample supply of jewellery, flowing dresses, fine suits and exotic furs. Both the ladies and gentlemen aboard the Orient Express are decked out in the most stunning costumes and I must give credit to Byrne for her realisation of Branagh’s Poirot with his distinctive three-piece suits and antique cane, the lavish ballroom dresses of Michelle Pfieffer’s Caroline Hubbard and the completely chic gangster attire of Johnny Depp’s Edward Ratchett, who is clad in bold double-breasted power suits and wears the ultimate fur coat.

All of these things bring you further into the world of Murder on the Orient Express and make for an exciting and completely mesmerising time up-on screen.

Branagh most definitely stands out as the arrogant, analytical, and obessesive compulsive Hercule Poirot, whose obsession with minute details borders on the notion of crazy and who sports one hell of a moustache. While I myself had never read any of Agatha Christie’s works before I saw Murder on the Orient Express, I was still familiar with the character of Poirot and from what I know of the grand detective, Branagh hit the nail on the head. His deductive manner and minute observations were in perfect keeping with the character, and you could tell that he was enjoying himself immensely as this debonair fellow. And that moustache, my god, it was unbelievably impressive and is worth the price of admission alone!

The film’s bolder casting was equally impressive with a staple of magnificent performances from all the supporting players involved. But there are a few of them that I need to call out, starting with Depp’s despicable gangster Ratchett. Depp plays the villain well, and here his slimy manner shines through as a cocky up-start who now finds himself in trouble. What was enjoyable was that as Ratchett, Depp obviously enjoyed being the bad guy, and this of-course shone through in his performance. Michelle Pfieffer’s widowed Caroline Hubbard brings plenty of refined elegance, as well as an unabashed seductiveness that she throws towards Poirot, for plenty of uncomfortable humour. Then there’s Josh Gad as the bullied, and horrendously uptight Hector McQueen, who has found himself as Ratchett’s assistant and whose behaviour makes him an instant suspect. Leslie Odom Jr. brings a sense of refinement as the learned Dr Arbuthnot and has no qualms about getting in Poirot’s face, while, finally, Daisy Ridley is in ingenue form as former governess Mary Debenham who’s sweet and inquisitive exterior hides an agenda all her own.

If you’re wanting a whodunnit. Then well, you’ve found it. Branagh provides plenty of suspense for his audience and shifts the suspicion around the diverse group of characters. Whenever you think you’ve found the murderer, the emphasis shifts and another suspect, even more guilty shows up. Branagh keeps his audience guessing and uses Poirot’s distinctive deductive reasoning to find his murderer. There’s no CSI here, just a detective with one hell of an intellect and a commitment to that of unshakeable justice. At times you’ll find yourself on a knife’s edge, and that’s exactly where Branagh wants you.

I hold by my words when I say you will not see the ending coming, and the shock, along with Branagh’s care for this grand story leaves you wanting more. As a standalone suspense epic, Murder on the Orient Express holds its ground, and I myself would love to see Branagh explore this fabled character further in successive sequels. So buy your ticket, and take your seat, because the shocks come quick and sharp with Murder on the Orient Express….and you won’t want to miss out on them.

Image: 20th Century Fox

The post ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.