THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD
By Agatha Christie
Adapted by Danielle Mohlman
Directed by Jasmine Joshua

February 8 – March 5, 2023

2 hours and 30 minutes (with a 15-min intermission)

Ages: 12+

“Always Bear in Mind That the Person Who Speaks May Be Lying”

Gossip, blackmail, deception and betrayal unsettle the peaceful English village of King’s Abbot. After a pair of mysterious deaths — including one from inside a locked room – the famous detective Hercule Poirot is pulled out of retirement to solve the case. Despite his desire to relax and grow vegetable marrows, the ingenious sleuth is compelled to snoop around this quaint hamlet and its surrounding countryside. Will this sleepy 1930s village ever feel quite so cozy again? Will Poirot be able to unravel the knots of this mystery? It’s a mystery!

Book-It and local playwright Danielle Mohlman (author of Nexus and a renowned theatrical adaptation of Frankenstein) are crafting this brand-new script based on one of Dame Agatha Christie’s most innovative, clever, and mind-bending mysteries. The original book has been lauded as the best crime novel of all time by the Crime Writers’ Association.

This play will be directed by Seattle-based director Jasmine Joshua (director of Irma Vep at Intiman in 2022, and has also directed at Reboot Theatre, Cafe Nordo, 5th Avenue, and Village Theatre). The creative team is taking a modern approach to staging of this show, include modern music remixed and re-recorded in vintage styles, and nontraditional gender casting.

Why We Chose This Work: We love a good whodunnit! This classic murder mystery was revolutionary for its time, and it still hits all the right notes today. It’s sinister but also fun; fast-paced but still detailed; and thrilling without being frightening. Agatha Christie is one of the best-selling authors of all time, a master of her genre, and this story shows us why. Her subtle skewering of society and her delectable characters keep her work feeling fresh almost a century on. We want you to share time with us the winter, having some good ol’ fashioned fun!

For Fans Of: The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes by Jamyang Norbu

Content Warning: death, suicide, colonialism, classicism, references to big game hunting

Click here to read the show’s Program

THE CAST

Aaron Pitre* as Hercule Poirot
Brandon J. Simmons as Dr. James Sheppard
Lisa Viertel as Roger Ackroyd
Megan Ahiers as Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd, Inspector Raglan, and Miss Russell
Rhys Daly as Captain Ralph Paton and Major Hector Blunt
Sydney Maltese as John Parker and Ursula Bourne
Riley Gene as Miss Flora Ackroyd, Geoffrey Raymond, and Charles Kent

UNDERSTUDIES: Jessica Robins, Benjamin Elias Nickols, Jordan-Michael Whidbey

*Member of Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States

THE CREATIVE TEAM

Danielle Mohlman, Playwright
Jasmine Joshua, Director
Adrian Prendergast, Assistant Director & Assistant Dramaturg
Nicola Krause, Stage Manager
Selina Senn, Assistant Stage Manager & Covid Safety Officer
Sara Keats, Dramaturg
Robin Macartney, Scenic Designer & Props Designer
Richard Schaefer, Lighting Designer
Jocelyne Fowler, Costume Designer
Johanna Melamed, Sound Designer
Marena Kleinpeter, Dialect Coach
Danny Herter , Master Electrician/Board Operator
Conor Fortner , Sound Engineer/Board Operator
Emily Kight , Wardrobe Supervisor

BUY TICKETS

Pay What You Will Dates
Wednesday Feb. 8 (preview) – click here for tickets
Thursday February 23 – These tickets are available for purchase at the Box Office beginning at 6:30pm