TEA TIME on The Orient Express

Seanchai Library and friends embark on a literary journey through one of Agatha Christie's most notable adventures - Murder on the Orient Express. Everyone loves trains, right?

Summary: After taking the Taurus Express from Aleppo in Syria to Istanbul, private detective Hercule Poirot arrives at the Tokatlian Hotel. There he receives a telegram prompting him to return to London. He instructs the concierge to book a first-class compartment on the Simplon-Orient Express, leaving that night. Although the train is fully booked, Poirot obtains a second-class berth, but only with the intervention of a friend and fellow Belgian who is also boarding the train, M. Bouc, a director of the railway, Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. Aboard the train, a malevolent, elderly American, Samuel Ratchett, attempts to hire Poirot because he believes his life is threatened, but Poirot refuses out of distaste for the man.

Imagine the surprise when the famed train is trapped in the Yugoslavian mountains by an avalanche, and the unpleasant Mr. Ratchett turns up dead - horribly murdered!

Seanchai Library presents Murder on the Orient Express in a skybox especially designed for this series. Climb aboard - En Voiture! - and join a cast of talented voices for the six week series.

Visit TEA TIME on The Orient Express at Holly Kai

Check this page for more details, as they become available.

Schedule

Note: Specific sections of text covered may vary slightly, 

and will be revised as details emerge.

Part One - The Facts:

Sunday, July 8th: 1:30-2:30 pm slt - Part One, Chapters 1-5

Sunday, July 15th: 1:30-2:30 pm slt - Part One, Ch 6-8, - Part Two, Ch 1

Part Two - The Evidence:

Sunday, July 22nd: Noon -1 pm slt - Part Two, Chapters 2-7

Sunday, July 29th: 1:30-2:30 pm slt - Part Two, Chapters 8-13

Part Three - Hercule Poirot Sits Back and Thinks:

Sunday, August 5th: 1:30-2:30 pm slt - Part Two, Ch 14 - Part Three, Ch 2

Sunday, August 12th: 1:30-3:00 pm slt - Part Three, Chapters 3-9

CHARACTERS

Hercule Poirot - A retired Belgian police officer. Poirot is Christie's most famous detective and is known for his short stature and long, curly moustache. Poirot is very intelligent, extremely aware and instinctual and is a brilliant detective. The novel is generally written from his perspective.

M. Bouc  - The director of the Compagnie Wagon Lits and formerly worked for the Belgian police force with Poirot. Traveling on the Orient Express, M. Bouc asks Poirot to take the case. M. Bouc provides comic relief in the novel, constantly frustrated with the case and confused by Poirot.

Dr. Constantine  - The coroner aboard the Orient Express. Dr. Constantine is often Poirot or M. Bouc's sidekick and is present for most of the evidence gathering. Dr. Constantine examines Ratchett's body and determines when he could have been killed.

Mary Debenham  - Mary Debenham is a calm, cool and unruffled lady - a governess by profession. 

Mrs. Hubbard  - Mrs. Hubbard provides constant interruption and diversion on the train and is known for her stories about her daughter. Mrs. Hubbard's compartment is next to Ratchett's.

Colonel Arbuthnot  - Colonel Arbuthnot is hard-willed, polite and very "English." He is returning to England from service in "the east."

Princess Dragomiroff - A Russian princess. Princess Dragomiroff is a generally despicable, ugly old lady; her yellow, toad-like face puts off Poirot. 

Hector McQueen - Ratchett's personal secretary, and translator for him - Rathchett not speaking languages very well beyond english.

Ratchett  - A self-identified "businessman."  He has a certain brutal, bullying quality that makes others uncomfortable.  He employs McQueen and Masterman.  

Countess Andrenyi  -  The Countess is quite young, dark haired and beautiful, and somewhat fragile.

Count Andrenyi  - A very defensive man, quick to protect his wife.

Cyrus Hardman  - The big flamboyant American, who turns out to be a detective with a well-known detective service in New York City. 

Antonio Foscanelli - A large, florid Italian man, who deals in automobiles.

Greta Ohlsson  - Greta Ohlsson is a weepy Swedish lady who works as a missionary.  Very devout.

Hildegarde Schmidt  - Has a kindly face set in an expression of "placid stupidity." Hildegarde is rather slow-minded and unquestioningly carries out the Princess's orders in her capacity as maid.

Edward Henry Masterman  - Ratchett's valet,  is very polite and obedient, perhaps even haughty.

Pierre Michel  - the Conductor of the Orient Express Calais coach.

Check out this  2009 produced for ITV Studios. All copyrights for this production reside with the respective copyright holders.

Another view, of course departing from London and not Istanbul.

Check this page for more details, as they become available.