Brighton Theatre Royal Review – Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts

Summary

Rating: ★★★
Running Dates: Tuesday 21st October-Saturday 25th October
Where to see it: Theatre Royal Brighton
Duration: 2 hr (incl. interval)
Keywords:  thriller, murder mystery, detective, investigation, drama

Photography by Johann Persson

Review

A revolutionary adaptation of Hamlet. Incredible, must-see performances. The beautiful Ophelia enters the stage and then – in the bat of an eye – she collapses! The actors rush on stage, reach for her hand… but it’s too late. She’s dead. Someone murdered her. 

But who did it? Who could possibly kill Rebecca, an actress with such talent, such beauty? Just as the eye turns to the audience, everyone in the theatre now a witness to murder, someone rises from the seat and reaches the stage, declaring it a crime scene. 

It’s Inspector Morse, determined to get to the bottom of this tragedy. 

That’s the premise to Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts, the first ever stage adaptation of the beloved character by Colin Dexter. It’s a play-within-a-play, a playful take on the murder mystery genre that blends the boundaries between actors, stage, and audience. We follow Inspector Morse as he tries to unravel the mystery behind the young actress’ murder, hastily ruled as a suicide by his superiors. We’re right by his side as he uncovers clue after clue, interrogates suspects and finds new evidence. 

The strength of this play lies in keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. We’re discovering new clues and information just as Morse does, trying to make sense of the story. At every turn, we point fingers at someone else, we find a character innocent and another suspicious, but not until the very end we’ll discover the real truth. 

Photography by Johann Persson

The character of Inspector Morse is an intriguing one. He hides behind a mask of composure, protocol, and professional coldness. But we can just about see some warmth in the way he moves, the way he looks at the woman he loves. We can see there’s a part of him that’s hurt, sensitive, human. As the story hurries forward, we hope to see more and more of the man behind the inspector.

The play resembles an ITV drama, cosy and perfect for this rainy, autumn season. The cast includes two particularly strong actors: Tom Chambers as Morse, and Robert Mountford as Lawrence/Paul, my personal favourite. His performance really stood out among the rest. It was all-encompassing, detailed, and confident. He truly stole the scene whenever he walked on stage.

Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts is a fast paced whodunit, a page-turner for the stage, a gripping drama of murder, secrets, and ghosts of the past.

See If:  You enjoy murder mysteries and investigations
Stand Out Moments:  The long-awaited confrontation between Helen and Father Paul was the perfect balance between tense and touching, an example of how past ghosts can sometime haunt us again in the present.
Last Impressions: It was an enjoyable play with a satisfying ending.

Written by Roberta Guarini

Disclaimer: We were kindly gifted these tickets in exchange for a review and includes affiliate links.