AFTER touring 25 venues across the U.K. and Ireland, the stage adaption of “Murder on the Orient Express” will continue to captivate audiences as it embarks on its first China tour this October.

With six performances scheduled at the Pingshan Theater, Shenzhen theatergoers will have the opportunity to experience in-theater suspense, tension, and goosebumps brought by one of Agatha Christie’s most famous works.

Boasting a body of works that include 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, which have sold over 2 billion copies worldwide, Christie is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the best-selling fiction writer of all time and is widely known as “the queen of crime.” “Murder on the Orient Express” is one of her greatest literary achievements.

Set in the 1930s, the story revolves around a murder discovered on a snowbound train. A seemingly impossible case within a train full of suspects, detective Hercule Poirot must crack it before the train reaches its final destination.

First published in 1934, the beloved book has been adapted into different forms. Notable adaptations include a 1974 movie directed by Sidney Lumet, which was a critical and commercial success; a 1992 BBC Radio 4 adaption; a 2001 television version with a contemporary setting by CBS; and a 2017 movie directly by Kenneth Branagh, who also played Hercule Poirot. The movie cast also includes Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, and Johnny Depp.

The play, adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig, is directed by Lucy Bailey, who also directed the U.K. tour of Christie’s “And Then There Were None” in 2023 and 2024. Michael Maloney will star as Poirot.

With a tight plot, masterful acting by veteran performers, a full-scale replicated train setting, and well-designed costumes, makeup and props, the show, as noted by The Guardian, will take audiences on “a first-class ride all the way.”

The performances will be in English with Chinese subtitles.

Time: 7:30 p.m., Oct. 16-19; 3 p.m., Oct. 18-19

Venue: Pingshan Theater, Pingshan District (坪山大剧院)

Metro: Line 14 to Pingshan Square Station (坪山广场站), Exit C2, then walk around 900 meters(Yu Yuanfan)