Murder on the Orient Express gets trigger warning over themes of death and guilt

Theatregoers attending a stage production of Murder on the Orient Express are being issued a “trigger warning” about themes of death and guilt. In a move that has left many rolling their eyes, audiences checking the theatre’s website are met with a warning stating the obvious fact that the play contains “themes of death, grief and guilt,” along with “reference to, and depictions of, murder and manslaughter.” As if that weren’t enough, it also cautions about “reference to, and depictions of weapons.”

Matt Newbury, creative director of the Agatha Christie Festival, was among those left baffled by the need for such a warning. “I’m never one to give away the solution when it comes to Agatha Christie mysteries, but—plot spoiler—the clue is definitely in the title,” he said. “Oh, and it’s definitely going to take place on the Orient Express. That said, don’t let the murder put you off, it’s an excellent play!”

Starring Michael Maloney as the legendary Hercule Poirot, the production has been wowing audiences on its UK tour and is set to arrive at the Royal in Bath this week.

Adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig, it’s been hailed as “first class” by critics. Murder on the Orient Express, one of the biggest-selling crime novels of all time, follows Poirot as he unravels a grisly killing aboard the famous train.

With a bloodied corpse and a carriage full of suspects, it’s a classic whodunit that has captivated audiences for decades.

But despite the story being literally about murder, this latest trigger warning is just the latest in a growing trend of bizarre theatre disclaimers.

Chichester Festival Theatre was widely mocked for warning that The Three Little Pigs “has a passing reference to Father Pig being gobbled by the Big Bad Wolf.”

Meanwhile, English National Opera took it a step further by alerting audiences that Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance contained “alcohol misuse and mild violence.”

Leading figures in theatre have slammed the growing obsession with trigger warnings. Oscar-winner Dame Judi Dench didn’t mince her words when she dismissed the trend, saying: “If you’re that sensitive, don’t go to the theatre, because you could be very shocked.

“Isn’t the whole business of going to the theatre about seeing something that you can be excited, surprised, or stimulated by?” she added.

Harry Potter and Conclave star Ralph Fiennes has also taken a swipe at the practice, branding modern audiences as “soft.”

“The impact of theatre should be that you’re shocked, and should be that you’re disturbed. I don’t think you should be prepared for these things,” he told the .