Murder on the Orient Express ROLE-PLAY – sketch 05 – www.onyourmarks.org Characters : Poirot – Dragomiroff - Hildegarde Situation : Princess Dragomiroff’s interrogation (syllables in bold letters are stressed syllables) BOUC May I introduce M. Poirot? Our distinguished detective. DRAGOMIROFF Hildegarde used to read about your investigations out loud. Would you like a glass of brandy? POIROT No, thank you! BOUC With pleasure! POIROT May I start now? I remember that you are Mrs Armstrong’s godmother. How comes you were the godmother of an American lady? DRAGOMIROFF I strongly admired her mother, Linda Arden. She was the greatest of all actresses. POIROT She isn’t dead, is she? DRAGOMIROFF No, but she’s disabled now. POIROT And she had a younger daughter.

DRAGOMIROFF Yes, but I don’t know her. She married a Turk. POIROT The Armstrongs had a large staff. Did they have a maid, a chauffeur? Do you remember their names? DRAGOMIROFF I had my own maid. No, I can’t remember. POIROT I’m sure Fräulein Hildegarde does remember her name. HILDEGARDE Yes, but usually maids only know the others’ first names. POIROT Yes, I understand. What was hers? HILDEGARDE Paulette. DRAGOMIROFF Hildegarde, could you go and get some aspirin? And I’d like very hot Russian tea. You can go back to your compartment after that. HILDEGARDE Yes madam. POIROT I thank you for your precious help. Fräulein Hildegarde, I’d like a word with you.