Interview: Michael Maloney and Bob Barrett on Agatha Christie’s iconic characters

Michael Maloney and Bob Barrett on Agatha Christie’s iconic characters

Murder on the Orient Express is one of Agatha Christie’s greatest literary achievements, with a final twist amongst her very best. Gripping, tense and masterfully cryptic, this brand-new stage production, visiting Newcastle Theatre Royal this month between Tuesday 14 to Saturday 18 January 2025, is a thrilling ride and an ingenious murder mystery. We caught up with the stars of the show to find out more...

What can audiences expect when they come to see Murder on the Orient Express on stage?

Bob: It's funny, it's exciting and it's adventurous, and it'll also make you think.

Michael: If we get the speed and the pace right, people won't be able to think fast enough during the show itself. It will be a night of intrigue with a great denouement.

How would you describe your characters' relationship?

Bob: Monsieur Bouc is the man who runs the train, he's very passionate about it and his best friend is Hercule Poirot, so he's very supportive towards him. Poirot is a genius and Bouc isn't, so he's often a sounding board and there's a little bit of Sherlock-Watson in it.

Michael: There are some very interesting scenes going on around Poirot in which he just observes, and I think he's quite a lonely person. In order to be on top of his game, in order to take care of his little grey cells, he has to distance or isolate himself from being too involved with people - so that he can objectively see what their characteristics are, what their behaviorisms are and what they're up to full-stop, really. But yes, he and Monsieur Bouc are old friends.

Michael, Poirot has been portrayed by many actors over the years. How are you making the character your own?

Michael: When you play a role, it will naturally become your own, but I carry the memory of everybody that I've watched play him with me. I don't try to compete with them, and I like to acknowledge what they've done. I've really enjoyed all their performances, but I think David Suchet in particular has dominated the national consciousness because he did it for about 20 years on television, so when people say "Poirot" they automatically think of his appearance, his persona and his acting of the role.

You have a great rapport. Have you worked together before?

Bob: It's our third time. Previously we were in Hamlet together. The first time, he was Hamlet and I was Rosencrantz, then I was Horatio to his Hamlet. Both times it was blissful, and the second time was a longer tour, so we shared digs. What's lovely about it as well is that there is a sort of element of Hamlet-Horatio in the Poirot and Bouc relationship, and there are a lot of references to Hamlet in this play.

What do you think makes Christie such a revered storyteller?

Bob: She's the best at what she does. It's not just that she's great at the narrative, she's also very good at painting characters. She's very good in terms of the psychology of people in extremis, when people are pushed to the edge, she's so accurate about human nature. I think that's why people keep coming back to her stories, because there is an authenticity to what she does.

What do you think makes Murder on the Orient Express a particularly compelling story?

Michael: This is one of her all-time greats. Her writing is very dependable. You have a world created for you, which you can observe from the audience and still feel non-threatened by, but you're intrigued by the terrible goings on in other people's lives.

Are there still surprises for people who know whodunnit from the novel and previous adaptations?

Michael: There are, yes. The way it's staged, there are plenty of diversions and there are enough red herrings.

Bob: Our director Lucy Bailey has done a lot of Agatha Christie’s, and she's got a real handle on it. She pushes the stories into unexpected areas and it's thrilling. She brings in elements that maybe aren't there on the page, and I think that's exciting for an audience.

What have been your career highlights on film and TV?

Michael: I enjoyed my little bit in Belfast with Kenneth Branagh just a couple of years ago and I enjoyed doing Henry V for Kenneth Branagh as well, playing the Dauphin.

Bob: I was in Holby City for 12 years, so that was a huge part of my life, and I just loved doing it. I did an Ab Fab, which was exciting, and I really enjoyed doing Shakespeare in Love and learned a lot from that experience. They're the big standouts for me.

The tour calls at Newcastle Theatre Royal. Does it have any significance for you?

Michael: I did six weeks with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Newcastle. We were feted and we had a fantastic time.

Bob: My mum was born in Newcastle, so it's an incredibly special place.

Photos: Manuel Harlan

Tickets:

Murder on the Orient Express plays Newcastle Theatre Royal Tuesday 14 – Saturday 18 January 2025.

Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.