OCALA, FL (352today.com) – All aboard for a thrilling ride! Agatha Christie’s classic whodunit Murder on the Orient Express rolls onto the Ocala Civic Theatre (The Civic) stage from March 20 through April 6, promising suspense, intrigue, and timeless mystery.

The story unfolds in 1934 as the renowned Orient Express races through Europe. Among its distinguished passengers is the world-famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot (John Paul Anderson Jr.), whose keen eye for detail and sharp intuition will be put to the ultimate test. When American tycoon Samuel Ratchett (Janik Trent Buranosky) is discovered stabbed to death in his locked compartment, the train’s snowbound isolation turns every traveler into a suspect.

Poirot must unravel a web of secrets, deceit, and revenge, questioning passengers including the reserved governess Mary Debenham (Iyanna Lynell Skinner), the mysterious Countess Eléna Andrenyi (Lily Capote), and the sharp-tongued American widow Helen Hubbard (Laura Bradford). With twists at every turn, the detective methodically pieces together a case that defies expectations.

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“The novel Murder on the Orient Express is 91 years old, and people have been loving it that long,” says Melody Murphy, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for The Civic. “Whether as readers or audience members, we love the quirky and brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. We love the Art Deco atmosphere of the luxurious Orient Express, the bygone glamour of that era. We love the seeming impossibility of a murder committed in a train compartment locked from the inside, with no one else found there but the body. We love that such a wicked man got what was coming to him.”

Directed by Ray Ficca, this stage adaptation by Tony Award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig immerses audiences in the elegance of 1934, with stunning Art Deco sets, period costumes, and atmospheric lighting and sound design.

Tickets are $35 for adults and $17 for ages 18 and younger. They can be purchased at ocalacivictheatre.com or via The Civic box office at (352) 236-2274.

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