About the Show: Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the luxurious Orient Express in its tracks. By morning, an American tycoon lies dead in his compartment—stabbed multiple times. Isolated by the storm and surrounded by strangers, the world-famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot must solve the mystery before the killer strikes again. Full of glamour, intrigue, and surprising twists, Murder on the Orient Express is a suspenseful and stylish whodunit that keeps audiences guessing until the final breathtaking reveal. Based on the classic novel by Agatha Christie and adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig, this production blends sharp wit, high drama, and unforgettable characters.
Audition Date (By Appointment Only): Sunday, August 16 from 1:00-5:00 pm
All auditions, rehearsals, and performances will be at Drew Methodist Church, 28 Gleneida Avenue, Carmel, New York, 10512. Video auditions will be accepted. All video submissions must be submitted to BTCOrientExpress@gmail.com on or before Sunday August 16.
To Schedule An Audition:
Please complete the Murder on the Orient Express Audition Form, then email BTCOrientExpress@gmail.com for an audition time slot. Your audition will not be scheduled until the form is completed. Video submissions will not be accepted without the completed form.
Audition Preparation: Select two monologues (a different character for each monologue) from AUDITION MONOLOGUES. Memorization is appreciated, but not required. Perfect accents are not expected at auditions, but auditioners are encouraged to mount their best attempt at their characters’ accent(s). Links to Youtube accent examples are provided for some characters. See CHARACTER BREAKDOWN for more character details.
Callback Date (By Invitation Only): Monday, August 17 from 7:00-9:00 pm.
Actors receiving a callback will be notified after the Sunday, August 16 audition timeslot.
Casting:
All ethnicities are open for all characters. Genders of the characters will be portrayed as written, but actors may audition for whichever role they feel comfortable with. Age ranges represent the age of the character, and does not necessarily reflect the age of the actor portraying them.
Character Breakdown:
Note: Many roles require strong dialect work and dynamic character choices. See CHARACTER BREAKDOWN for detailed character descriptions and links to accent examples.
Hercule Poirot (Male, 45-70)- Accent: Belgian/French-inflected English
Monsieur Bouc (Male, 40-65)- Accent: Belgian or French
Samuel Ratchett (Male, 40-65)-Accent: American
Hector MacQueen (Male, 25-45)-Accent: American -hint of Irish
Colonel Arbuthnot (Male, 30-50)-Accent: Scottish
Michel (Male, 35-60)-Accent: French . Note: May double with Head Waiter.
Greta Ohlsson (Female, 25-45)-Accent: Swedish
Countess Andrenyi (Female, 25-40)-Accent: Hungarian
Mrs. Helen Hubbard (Female, 45-70)-Accent: American-Midwest / Minnesotan
Mary Debenham (Female, 25-40)-Accent: Standard British
Princess Dragomiroff (Female, 60-80)-Accent: Russian
WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR AUDITION!
-The Murder on the Orient Express (MOTOE) Production Team
All performances, auditions, and rehearsals take place at
The Theater at Drew United Methodist Church 28 Gleneida Ave., Carmel, NY 10512
unless otherwise noted.
Performance Dates:
• Friday, October 16 at 7:30 pm
• Saturday, October 17 at 7:30 pm
• Sunday, October 18 at 2:00 pm
• Friday, October 23 at 7:30 pm
• Saturday, October 24 at 2:00 pm
• Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 pm
• Sunday, October 25 at 2:00 pm
Actors must be available for all performance dates.
In addition to Performance Dates listed above, actors will be expected to attend:
• Tech Week (Saturday October 10 through Thursday October 15)
• At least one Scene Shop Saturday (10 am – 1 pm: 8/29, 9/5, 9/19, 9/26, 10/3, 10/10)
• Potential Brush-Up Rehearsal on Thursday, October 22.
• Strike, October 25 immediately following the 2:00 pm show
Typical rehearsal schedule*:
Monday and Thursday (7:00 – 9:30 pm), and Sunday (1:00 - 4:00 pm).
Rehearsals run Monday August 24 through October 8 (not including Tech Week)
*Not every actor will be needed for every rehearsal
All auditions are at Drew Methodist Church, 28 Gleneida Avenue, Carmel, NY 10512