Meet the Cast of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express: Allistair Basse
Introduce yourself! Where have audiences seen your work recently and where can they see you next?
My name is Allistair and Murder on the Orient Express is my fourth production with Vintage Theatre.
I've been acting professionally in the Denver area for the last five years, but I have loved theatre since high school. I've most recently been seen in Othello 2024 with Firehouse Theatre, Disney's Newsies with Performance Now, and Cock with Pop Up Theatre. Next I'm scheduled to play Ludie in A Trip to Bountiful with Bas Bleu Theatre in early 2025.
What is your favorite aspect of your role in the cast?
Constantine Bouc and I share a great many character traits. Both he and I love great food and drink (to a fault), we are both greatly concerned with others' happiness and enjoyment, and we are both fiercely loyal to those we consider our friends. Bouc also has the benefit of, in many ways, helping provide the background upon which this play is set. He reminds me of my late father in more than a few aspects, and his gregarious and big-hearted nature is a joy to play.
Who are some of your top fictional detectives/investigators?
From the realm of the classic detective era, (in which this play is set), I've been a longtime fan of Nick Charles, as portrayed by William Powell in the Thin Man film series. Nick and his wealthy socialite wife Nora (portrayed by Myrna Loy), were the perfect team in the films, as their chemistry was palpable. From the classic radio era, Captain Bart Friday from the Adventures by Morse radio series was another favorite. Seriously, if you haven't listened to the City of the Dead series, I highly recommend it this Halloween. It will give you chills.
On a more contemporary note, I have to give a shout out to the Tex Murphy series that came out for the PC in the late 90s, a Sam Spade tribute set in the far away year of 2043. Actor/director/creator Chris Jones brings a loving, yet highly satirical portrayal of a down-on-his-luck private detective struggling to turn his life around in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco.
Is there a specific line or moment from the play that resonates with you?
"We are losing heat and light, provisions are low, the passengers are angry and we have a dead man rotting in compartment two. How are things with you?"
You’re playing the board game Clue—what your idea character/weapon/location combo?
It's been an unmentionable amount of time since I last played the board game, but I was always partial to Professor Plum, in the Library, with the lead pipe. My affinity for Plum was amplified when I saw Christopher Lloyd play him in the 1985 film, which I have grown to cherish over the years. What a cast! Lloyd, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, and Lesley Ann Warren, to name a few, wowzers!
Two trains leave the station, one from Paris, one from Delhi, each leaving at the rate of—just kidding! Why should audiences come see Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express at Vintage?
Let's see. Great venue, great script, great director, great production team, great cast (aside from some hack playing the man who runs Wagon-Lit, the greatest train company in the world), what more can you ask for? Seriously, if you've never seen it before, come out and see if you can guess who the murderer is. If you have, NO SPOILERS! But come see some of the best talent in the Denver area put this play down on stage. Come and join us for the ride of your life on the Orient Express!