The Show Everyone’s Been Dying to See

This winter The Westminster Christian Academy theatre department will be performing Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. For those who are unaware of Agatha Christie, she is one of the most famous mystery authors in the world, and Murder on The Orient Express is one of her greatest stories. The book, now adapted as a play, takes place on a train traveling out of Istanbul that gets trapped in the snow. The passengers aboard include world renowned detective Hercule Poirot, and when an unfortunate night results in the death of one of the passengers, Poirot’s detective skills are put to the test.

Chase Borage, senior portraying Hercule Poirot in the upcoming production, is extremely excited to perform this show. He is thrilled to be playing such a complicated character in a show full of unwinding twists and turns, and is ecstatic as this will be his final role at Westminster before he graduates. Regarding his character Borage said:

“Hercule Poirot, he’s a detective, he’s very good at seeing all the different facts and seeing how they work together […] putting in pieces together in a way that nobody else really can. He can see continuity in a story when it seems jagged or scattered, and that’s what makes him an effective detective and investigator.”

Although he is excited for Poirot to appear on stage and impress the audience, Borage will not let his other cast mates go unnoticed saying:

“Every single character has character development, and when you’re in a scene with these other actors and you’re kind of unravelling this onion that’s this crazy murder plot, you get to see deeper into each character and get to know them.”

Even though the characters are an exceptional aspect of the show, a lot more goes into grabbing the audience and pulling them into the 20th century where this plot takes place. Borage said:

“The crews are doing a great job. Mr Cockerham obviously at the head. He can conduct everything, it looks beautiful […] It’s a beautiful train […] It takes a whole crew and everybody does their part really well.”

Taking part in the upcoming production is Abel Tucker, who will play Samuel Ratchett, another of Christie’s storied and dynamic characters. Tucker said:

“Samuel Ratchett. He’s an interesting character. He has mafia ties which is kind of implied throughout the show […] he likes to talk business, he likes to talk money, and he likes to get the job done […] He’s been a fun character to play because he’s so contrary to myself, but at the same time, I love old mafia movies, and it’s fun to explore that.” 

Ratchett captures the old New York type of vibe and is a very unique character compared to his on-stage counterparts. Tucker’s performance of Ratchett has not been easy to develop, and that is a truth for most other actors on the stage. Luckily Westminster has an amazing director behind the show, which Tucker talked about when he said:

“Mr. Butz has from the beginning had a very clear vision for the show […] which has been very helpful for directing us and how we should act, how the set should look, and the vibes we should be putting off.”

Although you may not see Butz on stage, you will appreciate him and his choices regarding the direction of the show. The amount of hard work that has been going on behind the scenes is impressive to say the least. Tucker is very critical when it comes to entertainment, and when it came to this show he said:

“I’m very honest about the shows here at Westminster, and I can honestly tell you that the show is worth watching. It’s definitely going to keep you engaged. It’s definitely going to keep you guessing, and it’s going to keep you on the edge of your seat.”

The show will be on Jan. 23, Jan. 24, and Jan. 25 at 7 p.m., and will very much possibly be one of the greatest shows Westminster Christian Academy has ever performed. Borage says to everyone:

“Tickets are going fast, so come on out. See me, see our show, and see my wonderful castmates who are doing a great job.”