MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS By Agatha Christie Adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig
WELCOME
KATHY BOURNE AND DANIEL EVANS PHOTOGRAPH BY SEAMUS RYAN
FESTIVAL 2022
Welcome on board the Orient Express! We’re delighted that you have joined us for this new adventure, which represents a joyful Chichester reunion for many of those involved. Foremost among them, of course, are actor Henry Goodman and director Jonathan Church. Memories of Henry’s outstanding performances in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui and Yes, Prime Minister at Chichester and in the West End are cherished by all who saw them, and we are thrilled he is now adding Hercule Poirot to the roster of extraordinary roles he has brought to our stages. Arturo Ui was also directed by Jonathan Church, who returns to the Festival Theatre where he created so many wonderful productions during his 10-year tenure as Artistic Director. Our 60th anniversary season would not have been complete without him.
Jonathan, Henry and adaptor Ken Ludwig – whose Crazy for You opens later this summer – are in conversation in this programme about their approach to Christie’s iconic title. Designer Robert Jones, whose many CFT shows include Oklahoma!, Mack & Mabel and this season’s The Unfriend, joins many familiar members of a superb creative team; while among the marvellous ensemble cast are those also making welcome returns, while others alight here for the first time. We wish them all bon voyage. Following Murder on the Orient Express, Stephen Beresford’s new play The Southbury Child, with Alex Jennings, has a two-week run in the Festival Theatre; don’t miss your chance to see it here before it transfers to London! And then we greet high summer with the toe-tapping Gershwin extravaganza, Crazy for You. We hope you enjoy today’s performance and look forward to seeing you again soon.
Executive Director Kathy Bourne
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Artistic Director Daniel Evans
F E S T I VA L 2 0 2 2
THE SOUTHBURY CHILD A new play by Stephen Beresford
Alex Jennings leads the cast in Stephen Beresford’s very funny new play – a deeply humane exploration of family, faith, tradition and tolerance in a rapidly changing world – directed by Nicholas Hytner. A co-production with The Bridge Theatre
FESTIVAL THEATRE 13 – 25 June #SouthburyChild
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F E S T I VA L 2 0 2 2
Charlie Stemp
THE GERSHWIN MUSICAL COMEDY Music & Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin Book by Ken Ludwig Co-conception by Ken Ludwig and Mike Ockrent Inspired by material by Guy Bolton and John McGowan
A hilarious, riotously entertaining musical packed with glorious Gershwin melodies and stunning tap dance routines, directed and choreographed by the multi Tony and Olivier Award-winning Susan Stroman. Charlie Stemp (Half A Sixpence, Mary Poppins) returns to Chichester to lead the cast.
FESTIVAL THEATRE 11 July – 4 September #CrazyForYou
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LEAP
Our Learning, Education and Participation (LEAP) programme offers practical workshops, projects and special events for over 62,000
GAME CHANGERS: COMMUNITY COMPANIES CFT’s programme of community events for adults range from weekly classes to talks and tours: allowing participants to discover more about the Theatre and its productions, as well as helping build confidence and gain new skills. Projects and initiatives includes CFT Buddies, the volunteer companion scheme, and Get Into It! – weekly sessions for adults to learn new skills in designing, acting, dancing, singing and devising. The latest initiative launched in September 2021. The Wednesday and Friday Community Companies offer weekly workshops for adults with learning disabilities. Sessions exploring creativity and developing personal and social skills are open to anyone over the age of 25, all within a supportive and fun-filled environment. As part of the Digital Stages events celebrating our 60th anniversary, the Wednesday and Friday groups will be creating Game Changer, combining gaming technology with theatrical storytelling and music to create a new virtual theatre experience.
auditorium, the Friday Company members will create a parallel universe on the digital stage with clay characters animated by 3D scanning technology. Meanwhile, the Wednesday Company members will be working alongside songwriter and musician Michael Fry to create a soundscape to accompany the digital story, offering an immersive utopia. Game Changer will be released from 8 July 2022; sign up to our regular e-newsletters to hear more about this and the full Digital Stages programme or head to our website, where you can also read more about our Community Companies and projects at cft.org.uk/take-part/community There are currently spaces available in our Wednesday Company, and we would welcome new members to join in the creative, fun and exciting projects we have planned. If you – or someone you know – would be interested in joining, you can book a free taster session or discuss our bursary scheme in confidence by contacting Louise Rigglesford, Senior Community and Outreach Manager, at louise.rigglesford@cft.org.uk.
The Friday Company will work with Brighton-based BRiGHTBLACK, a digital company specialising in interactive and immersive playable artwork. Using a highly accurate scan of the Festival Theatre
COMMUNITY
people throughout the year. We aim to ensure that everyone, regardless of age, culture and social background, is given the opportunity to enrich
their lives with the joy of creative expression and the arts.
‘I like being creative and having fun’ Wednesday Company member
‘It makes me feel happy and jolly’ Wednesday Company member
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FOOD AND DRINK Enjoy delicious food and drink at our welcoming café and restaurant. Whether you’re having a meal before the show, simply relaxing with a coffee or powering up using our free Wi-Fi, we can’t wait to welcome you.
DINE BEFORE THE SHOW
GREAT COFFEE IN A GREAT LOCATION
Enjoy a contemporary British menu featuring local and seasonal ingredients, a selection of excellent wines and top-notch service in our stylish and award-winning restaurant The Brasserie – the closest restaurant to the Theatre.
A great spot for barista coffee, freshly made sandwiches, delicious cakes and a range of drinks. Our Café on the Park offers indoor and outdoor seating overlooking Oaklands Park and family friendly areas in our spacious foyer.
Open for Festival Theatre performances: matinees from 12pm and evening shows from 5pm. Also available for private hires and functions.
Open Monday to Friday from 10am and from 9am on Saturday so ParkRunners can stop by for much needed refreshment.
Visit cft.org.uk/eat, call 01243 782219 or email dining@cft.org.uk for opening times, reservations, menus and more.
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS By Agatha Christie Adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig
AGATHA CHRISTIE, 1922 © THE CHRISTIE ARCHIVE TRUST
THE ENDURING APPEAL OF
AGATHA CHRISTIE By Mark Aldridge
When Murder on the Orient Express was published in 1934, Agatha Christie was at her productive peak. She made her debut with The Mysterious Affair at Styles in 1920 and had since cemented herself as one of the most well-respected and popular writers of detective fiction. By the 1930s she often published two or three books a year, incredible enough in itself even before considering that much of her output has been acknowledged as some of the greatest crime fiction ever written. For example, 1930 saw the publication of Murder at the Vicarage, in which the observant spinster Miss Marple investigates a fatal crime in her village of St. Mary Mead. Then, at the end of the decade, Christie presented the dark thriller And Then There Were None, a masterpiece of suspense and mystery. It has sold in excess of 100 million copies, making it the best-selling mystery novel of all time. Sitting among this greatness is one of her most famous stories of all, Murder on the Orient Express. For Christie, the novel was more than just another neat idea for a story – it had reallife inspiration. She was influenced by her love of trains and joy at having finally travelled on the Orient Express after the collapse of her first marriage to Archie Christie in 1926. The combined stresses of this and the death of her mother resulted in Christie disappearing for 11 days – leading to much speculation in the press – before she was found recuperating in a Harrogate hotel. Christie then pushed herself forward as a strong independent woman who thought nothing of travelling the world whenever an opportunity arose. Eventually, her travels led her to an archaeological dig where she met her second husband, Max Mallowan. Part of their honeymoon included travel on the Orient Express, but Christie was disappointed TOP: AGATHA CHRISTIE AT INNSBRUCK STATION, AUSTRIA, c 1930 © THE CHRISTIE ARCHIVE TRUST BOTTOM: AGATHA CHRISTIE AND MAX MALLOWAN IN 1950 IMAGE COURTESY OF NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY