Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts – Sheffield Lyceum

Billed as a ‘thrilling murder mystery featuring the iconic Inspector Morse’, House of Ghosts arrives in Sheffield to fulfil the gap the much missed TV Series left, 25 years ago. Based on Colin Dexter’s characters and written by Morse scriptwriter Alma Cullen the production goes some way towards filling the void Jon Thaw left and is a must experience for bereft Morse fans.

The house of Ghosts refers to Morse’s past rather than the ghoulish variety as we are transported back to 1987 to the City of Oxford. The play opens as a play within a play, as we are greeted with a rather amateur stage version of Hamlet (Spin Glancy) and it is as Ophelia (Eliza Teale) enters the scene we witness her stutter, raise her hand to her mouth as blood falls onto her white gown and within seconds she is dead. A panicked cast and a cry from the auditorium for ‘House Lights’ exposes Morse (Tom Chambers) striding through the Sheffield theatre and we are immediately involved in the whole sordid tale. A second voice of the Hamlet’s Director, Baxter (Robert Mountford) is heard as he bounds through the theatre more worried as to if the show can go on due to financial implications than to the dead cast member!

As the house lights are raised the scene is reversed, putting the audience into a backstage vantage point. Clever staging allows us the view of the wings and the goings on of the production crew. With direction by Anthony Banks and set and costume design by Colin Richmond this works well and it the highlight of the set. Very minimal and at times, unimaginative set pieces are used to create the many locations which are presented, frequently, on stage by the cast – giving the show a very disjointed feel and one that doesn’t work well on stage. The scenes are short and ‘bitty’ in nature, and we never feel fully connected to the majority of the characters due to this. Sound design by Beth Duke tries hard and with some success to replicate Morse’s love of the Classics with music from Shubert, Bach and Mozart. The lighting is smoky and ominous and is another reminder of the productions title.

With a cast of 10, the characters – and one important character strangely missing throughout – the back story of Morse’s university days is laid bare as all its major players are involved with the murder. This backstory takes precedence during the production, and we see a less morose Morse, who displays maybe, a more uncontrolled and juvenile reaction to the murder inquiry and his regrets of the past. Why did he become a Policeman and leave Oxford, he was one of its brightest stars?  A difficult task to fill the iconic Jon Thaw’s shoes but Tom Chambers makes Morse his own and this deserves praise. Tachia Newall as Lewis gives a youthful and energetic, likeable and grounded performance and one that is reminiscent of Kevin whatley in the TV series. The pairing have a good rapport on stage and interact well. Mountford in the joint role of sleazy and philandering Director Lawrence and unnervingly mysterious Monsignor Kinkaid join Newall along with Theresa Banham as Morse’s love interest of long ago, Ellen as the stand out performers of the cast. James Gladdon as Freddy gives the production some amusing Northern stereotyping and Charlotte Randle displays the drama of a striving thespian. Olivia Onyehara plays the wealthy Producer of Hamlet and its director’s (Rutherford) suffering wife and Josh Katembala completes the cast.

The story takes all of Act one to establish the relationships within the characters and subsequently is a little flat. Act Two pangs the interest more effectively but its conclusion is rushed and confusing. Again, a victim of the very short choppy scenes that never allow the audience enough context to engage fully.

‘Thrilling’, ‘Chilling’ it is not – a brain workout it is, to piece all the tentative fragments together and worthy of a viewing to challenge yourself. Whilst a classic crime drama and one we are left guessing to the last moment; this Morse stage production unfortunately has a hard time translating from the much loved screen and becomes a disjointed shadow of the classic we all loved on TV.  Whilst interest, I am sure, will be much appreciated in Morse fans by Morse’s disclosure of his past as well as the much needed fix of reminiscing the well-loved series– I feel that’s where it should stay… firmly in the realms of a Classic and iconic TV series. Inspector Morse- House of Ghosts- is at the Sheffield Lyceum until 1^st November before continuing its UK tour dates.

Reviewer: Tracey Bell

Reviewed: 28th October 2025

North West End UK Rating: