REVIEW - It will be a crime to miss Inspector Morse - House of Ghosts!

We went to Lowry in Salford to see Inspector Morse - House of Ghosts. Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had to say about this excellent drama...

Inspector Morse is possibly the greatest British crime drama of all time and was certainly voted as such in 2018 by Radio Times readers.  Our fascination for this brilliantly flawed and intellectual detective has never dwindled, birthing spin off shows such as Lewis and Endeavour, with continual reruns of the hit show starring John Thaw as DCI Morse and Kevin Whately as his solid and reliable Sergeant, Lewis.  With intriguing mysteries to be solved by the magnetic duo of Morse & Lewis, all nestled in the heart of the dramatically stunning Oxford, it is very hard to resist giving yourself over to this world created by Colin Dexter in the original novels.  Such is the popularity of our grumpy but loveable Morse, it seemed inevitable that one day he would find a new home in the theatre.  This is the first time Morse has been seen on stage as a full-length play and with an adoring, ready made audience, it seems the perfect way to get fans both old and new, experiencing the thrill of a whodunnit in a collective, live, reactive way.

This brand new story, written especially for the theatre, is gifted to us by one of the original four writers of the television series, Alma Cullen, ensuring it is authentic, respectful, yet fresh and invigorating.  We are immediately given theatrical licence as the plot involves a play within a play, for a murder most foul is bestowed upon a production of Hamlet, brilliantly allowing for juxtaposed interplay between the brutal down to earth and no nonsense style of Morse against the larger-than-life Shakespearean performances of the Hamlet actors who become witnesses and suspects.  Not only that, as the familiar music of Morse swells and pulsates throughout the theatre, we realise that we are also witnesses to the murder and as such, are immediately submerged in the investigations.  But this is no ordinary case and things begin to take a sinister turn as events unfold and connections are made to Morse’s own past, twenty-five years previous.  As the ghosts of Hamlet echo throughout the theatre, Morse has to face his ominous ghosts of the past and challenge his own memory of things he had buried long ago.  With clues hidden everywhere in plain sight, this is a show that could be watched again with the gift of knowledge and would beautifully reveal things in a whole new light for those in the know.

Designed by Colin Richmond, the staging fully immerses us into the more isolated and atmospheric parts of the theatre, allowing scenes to play out in darkened backstage corridors, dimly lit dressing rooms, outside the stage door, and stark backstage areas.  As set pieces are brought on and off, ranging from simple chairs, to a bar, and drinks machine, we are effortlessly whisked between the theatre, Morse’s local pub, the police station, an Oxford park, Ellens rooms, and even church!  Rather than complex scene changes, these reflective nods to each location find a solution to the challenge any Morse production must face, for it is known for its decorative backdrop of Oxford featuring heavily.   

The interplay between the Hamlet actors, the audience, and the police enquiry actors is a clever and dynamic twist that gives this stage production of Morse its own originality and breathing space to be its own beast, whilst keeping it familiar and in line with what fans know and love.  Lovingly directed by Anthony Banks, it follows the feel of the TV show with short, snappy scenes, each one evolving this wonderful cast and in particular the captivating relationship between Morse and Lewis.  It even uses the trick of overlapping scenes, allowing them to interplay alongside each other so we bare witness to different events happening simultaneously.

Tom Chambers (Dial M For Murder, Father Brown, Murder In The Dark, Holby) has worked impossible magic to not only make us accept this beloved character as someone other than the remarkable John Thaw, but to fully embody who Morse is in an entirely recognisable and familiar way, without every playing copycat or doing an impersonation.  He has made the character his own whilst still allowing him to be John Thaw’s, and this is not only an inspiring display of talent, but a mark of pure class.  With a delightful deadpan sense of humour, a brooding thoughtfulness, a raw and unaffected charisma born out of intellect, kindness and empathy, this Morse really digs deep into his own paradox of being so put together and in control at work, as opposed to his chaotic and flailing personal life that we see is the only root cause of him losing his temper at work. Tachia Newall (Liberation, Animal Farm, Mother Courage And Her Children, Waterloo Road) is our loyal and grounded Lewis.  In contrast to the Morse, we see a robust energy driving the investigation and it proves to be a vigorous performance.  There is great timing, wonderful interplay, and yet again a unique yet familiar take on a much loved character. 

Teresa Banham (Measure For Measure, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, A View From The Bridge) brings depth as Ellen.  Full of contained and dignified emotion, this is such a nuanced and naturalistic performance that she opens the door for the audience to fully buy into her character, gleaning empathy from us all.  Jason Done (Fackham Hall, Silent Witness, Macbeth) doubles as both Lawrence and Paul and the two roles couldn’t be more different.  We see an egotistical, flamboyant and arrogant passion as Lawrence that is executed with vulgar precision, and a stubborn strength of a different kind as Paul.  It is a remarkable transformation and very impressive.  James Gladdon and Spin Glancy as actors Freddy and Justin give passionate performances, and a great sword fighting scene as they rehearse Hamlet.  Charlotte Randle provides a chaotic performance as Verity, and as her role develops we understand where the chaos derives from and we are allowed the opportunity to empathise. Completing this beautifully gelled cast is Olivia Onyehara as Harriet, Eliza Teale as Rebecca, and Josh Katembala, each with their moment to shine.  

The joy of revisiting an old friend meets the excitement of catching up with what they’ve been up to in this production of Inspector Morse House Of Ghosts.  It is nostalgic yet fresh and exciting, managing to find a wonderful new take on a character we have known and loved for years.  And it has been written in such a clever way that you don’t need to have ever watched Morse to revel in this gripping piece of theatre as it also stands alone.  This is a collective piece of theatre that respects its audience, involves us, and allows us to experience the thrill of live theatre, in more ways than one, whilst exploring drama, and trying to crack whodunnit.  It will keep you guessing right until the very end, with twists, turns, and reveals that I for one didn’t see coming.  So send the morse code out to Salford and Manchester, because Inspector Morse – House Of Ghosts is a fan favourite, and judging by audience reactions, it has a very nice future ahead of it.  It would be a crime to miss it!

WE SCORE INSPECTOR MORSE - HOUSE OF GHOSTS...




Inspector Morse is on at Lowry in Salford until Saturday 11th April 2026.


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