A cop for all ages
You don’t need to scour TV listings to find a crime series, there are a plethora of shows that feature all sorts of misdemeanours being dealt with by detectives with personality traits that cover every part of the “spectrum”. However, few leave their mark and when they do members of the public can name them without hesitation. One such individual was created by Colin Dexter, premiering in January 1987 and running through to November 2000. It starred John Thaw and in 2018 it was named by Radio Times readers as the greatest British crime drama of all time. Not one to argue with such esteemed television viewers of good taste, last night went to see Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts (New Victoria Theatre, Woking), an original story written for the stage by Alma Cullen, currently on tour across the UK.
The scenario is simple – a young actress dies suddenly on stage during a performance of Hamlet, an appropriate play you may think in which to drop dead. DCI (Detective Chief Inspector) Morse begins an investigation with loyal DS (Detective Sergeant) Lewis, which ignites a backstory of secrets, guilt and betrayal. It’s classic thriller material and Anthony Banks’s direction is an equally classic example of tailoring a production to the needs of a modern-day audience. Keep it brief and to the point. The opening scenes are punchy staccato type vignettes which set it up nicely for the ensuing complexities and revelations.
Cullen, who wrote four of the TV episodes, has mastered the art of this material. She is especially good at getting inside the head of Morse and Tom Chambers has crafted a portrayal that is very much his own but also an homage to Thaw, an assertive introvert with a healthy dose of scepticism about humankind which drives him forward in the search for truth. His performance grows on you as does that of Tachia Newall’s Lewis, and together they have a rapport that is full of blokish chat and general exasperation as they go about their business. Colin Richmond’s evocative set creates a vision and atmosphere of Oxford – manifest in a pub, police station and theatre – which adds an extra layer of authenticity to the production.
The rest of the cast also turn in solid performances, if occasionally prone to quiet melodrama (it is possible) as they all reveal how they too are haunted by their own personal ghosts. Nevertheless, this is theatre that intrigues and entertains, and for all you Morse fans you’ll be able to hum along to the theme music as you lose yourself in the ‘city of spires’. Morse has certainly left his mark, witness the reaction of my thirty-year-old companion who described it as “quality old school stuff”. Thaw would be chuffed.
Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts – www.atgtickets.com