Rebus: A Game Called Malice – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Rebus, the mega-popular paperback sleuth created by Ian Rankin in an Edinburgh bedsit back in 1985, is back, but not in print. No, this time he is a walking, talking, breathing creation, brought to vital life by actor Gray O’Brien.

Given that this is only the second incarnation of Rebus on stage, following Long Shadows in 2018, which Ranking co-wrote with Rona Munro, A Game Called Mallice is bound to appeal constant readers of the taciturn detective, who all inevitably have their own ideas of how he sounds, looks and moves. As a constant reader myself, I was more than a little intrigued to see if Rankin could pull this off and if O’Brien could fill the very sizeable shoes of Edinburgh’s finest DCI.

The setting is an opulent and art filled Heriot Row townhouse Drawing Room, Paul and Harriet (Neil McKinven and Teresa Banham) are the hosts with marital issues. Their good friend, Jack (Bill Hartman) is a local gangster turned ‘respectable’ Casino owner, who has history with Rebus, the one that got away. Jack’s latest squeeze is phone-obsessed Candida (Jade Kennedy), half his age and seemingly along just to add some content to her Insta page. Jack’s solicitor Harriet (Teresa Banham) has brought a +1 who, rather inconveniently, happens to be our recently retired DCI Rebus.

The play begins after dinner which has, ironically, had a murder-mystery theme as the characters recount the clues and mull over possible suspects. Reminiscent of Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound, or Christie’s The Mousetrap, the play within a play is not new but adds complexity to the traditional murder mystery by involving additional layers of storytelling and blurring the line between fiction and reality. So far, so good.

However, a combination of surprisingly slow line pick-ups from a few of the actors, who should know better, some sound issues that mean some lines are simply not discernible, coupled with an overly wordy script, and six characters to get to know, all leaves the audience hunched forward straining to hear and trying to understand the nuances. The deep pile carpet of the drawing room setting probably adds to the rag-mouthed diction. The production plods on, getting bogged down, defining and sculpting the five other characters on stage during the first act whilst our Rebus skulks in the background, with only the odd word here and there.

Having said all of the above, some of the acting is excellent, Bill Hartman exudes gangster menace and Jade Kennedy shines as the bright young thing on his arm who provides a modern slant on the traditional genre. O’Brian is sharp and clear and likeable, but never quite Rebus. I get the feeling that It might take quite a bit more time for that to happen.

But the biggest problem is a script in desperate need of more drama, a Chekhov’s gun or two. Whilst the second act does liven up considerably this still feels like a novella on stage rather than a play. And if a novel is like a relationship, a play is a one-night stand where things have to progress with an urgency and intensity that simply isn’t here.

Reviewer: Greg Holstead

Reviewed: 10^th September 2024

North West End UK Rating:

Running time – 2hrs (with interval)