Murder at Midnight – Blackpool Grand Theatre

A New Year’s Eve like you’ve never seen before arrives at the Seaside this week. As the clock strikes midnight, murder and chaos ensue, posing not only the question of whodunnit but who even died?

Playwright Torben Betts returns with the follow up to his 2023 hit Murder in the Dark, delivering this murder-mystery satire of cockney gang culture, dark comedy and drama all rolled into one. Promising a thrilling night out, and despite some killer moments, the play was rather lazily written offering nothing unique nor exciting than what we have seen before. The plot, centring around the Drinkwater home on New Year’s Eve, was vague at best. That said, it is very easy watching littered with amusing moments throughout. Take the play for what it is, don’t take it in any way seriously and it is a bit of fun.

Jason Durr headed a strong cast, as one-dimensional gangster Jonny. Durr’s portrayal was masculine, menacing and manipulative in equal measure, as Jonny kept all those around him in check. I’d have liked to see a little more light and shade to the character, however the script made this a difficult task. Max Bowden and Katie McGlynn, of Eastenders and Coronation Street fame respectively, brought lightness to the piece as elicit lovers Paul and Lisa. Bowden’s performance was strong, bringing lots of laughs as the hapless police officer whilst delivering great physical comedy. McGlynn brought warmth to her role, her energy and enthusiasm never wavering throughout. However, the strong Essex accent hampered her diction somewhat with some lines lost.

Without a doubt the star of the show is Susie Blake as Shirley. Blake nailed the role as the eccentric mother, delivering countless one-liners with impeccable comic timing. Her facial expressions alone were enough to raise giggles, with her bewildered and confused looks at what was going on around her matching those of the audience! Blake was incredibly watchable, with immense stage presence throughout.

It would be remiss of me not to mention Colin Falconer’s stage design which was both creative and visually stunning. Offering a multi-levelled performance space, it allowed opportunities to see various conversations happening in various rooms at the same time. It really was believable as a rich gangster’s house – with questionable interior design taste! Somewhere on stage I would’ve quite liked to see a clock included to highlight the countdown to midnight, and indeed the impending doom that something was going to happen. Director Phillip Franks utilised the many performance areas across the stage well.

Overall, Murder at Midnight offers a good night out at the theatre. I just felt the thrills could’ve been more thrilling and the comedy, funnier, despite a valiant effort from a vastly experienced cast. For a true farce to work, the pace needs to be quicker and the writing wittier. This play found itself somewhere in between drama and comedy, without nailing either. It seemed to take too long for anything to happen, and when it did (and midnight finally arrived!) interest was lost. When leaning into the melodramatic, soap-opera style towards the end was when it was most successful in entertaining the audience.

Murder at Midnight is at Blackpool Grand Theatre until Saturday 31st January. Book tickets here: https://www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk

Reviewer: Paddy Darnell-Walsh

Reviewed: 28th January 2026

North West End UK Rating: