With the first stage appearance of the famed detective, Inspector Morse – House of Ghosts is an original story inspired by Colin Dexter’s well-known character, this time penned by Alma Cullen and directed by Anthony Banks. A murder mystery staged live, this show intends to keep audiences thrown with red herrings and guessing the culprit until the last minute.
In this new story, set in 1987, Rebecca (Eliza Tealer), dies suddenly during a performance of Hamlet. Thankfully for her, and the play’s plot, Inspector Morse (Tom Chambers) just so happens to be in the audience and quickly launches an investigation. What at first seems like a standard murder case quickly becomes a story of secret and deceit spanning Morse’s own life 25 years ago. Assisted by DS Lewis (Tachia Newall), Morse is left to confront the past and solve the case.
One thing that quickly stands out in this piece is its use of space. A somewhat contained story, taking place mostly in the fictional theatre building, the large stage of the real Festival Theatre in Edinburgh tends to drown the action. Banks’ direction tends to largely take place centre stage, often having large portions of the playing space baron, except for the few times a member of the ensemble walks past as if they are a cinematic supporting artist. Perhaps the show would work better in a smaller space. It seems the larger venue was needed for the show’s spectacle, but unfortunately the actors get lost within the empty space.
As Morse, Chambers would be expected to bring strong elements of charm and charisma to the role. One could argue that Cullen’s writing may come into play here, but Chambers’ performance felt largely two-dimensional and a little bit subtle. Similar to the random ensemble moments, our leading man may have been better suited to a role on screen. In addition, there was a real lack of connection between him and Newall’s DS Lewis. These two characters are supposed to be partners, yet they felt distanced and interactions felt forced.
A stronger performance came from Charlotte Randall in the role of Verity, a fellow actor in the Hamlet production and a potential suspect for Rebecca’s murder. Randall moved seamlessly between Verity’s actress diva persona and more honest and genuine moments, providing great light and shade to the character.
Colin Richmond’s set was grandiose but didn’t fully stand out, again partly due to the issues previously mentioned in regard to use of space. Beth Duke’s sound design was a nice touch, underscoring each scene’s moments of tension but at times was quite abrupt and again better suited to the screen.
Overall, Inspector Morse – House of Ghosts is a unique and new outing for the character. However, with the pressure of being the first ever stage adaptation of Dexter’s work, one must argue if this piece was strong on stage or if it was better suited for a television reboot.
Inspector Morse – House of Ghosts runs March 7th and tickets are available at https://www.capitaltheatres.com/shows/inspector-morse-house-of-ghosts/
Reviewer: Dylan Mooney
Reviewed: 3rd March 2026
North West End UK Rating: