The Silence of The Lambs – Festival Theatre

If you are unfamiliar with The Silence of The Lambs as a book or movie, there’s still a very good chance that you are familiar with the name Hannibal Lecter and his masked faced that has freaked out many a generation since the 1991 movie starring Anthony Hopkins. This production delivers us a wonderfully disturbing and pulse raising performance in which every detail has been thought of.

The Silence of The Lambs follows trainee detective Clarice Starling as she is sent to deliver a questionnaire to infamous killer cannibal Dr.Hannibal Lecter, however the interaction leads to Lecter building an interest in Starling and in order to learn more about her, delivers intelligence on the current serial killer known as “Buffalo Bill”, to keep her around. Meanwhile we see James Gumb (aka Buffalo Bill) lure in his victims and assemble his human skin jacket in a bid to heal some serious mummy issues.

The story is dark, unsettling and more than a little freaky, but it is executed flawlessly. From the stellar cast to the careful and calculated use of projection every small detail has been considered. The set in particular is very cleverly executed, somehow managing to be both maximalist and completely adaptable. We have ourselves two floors, a corridor of doors/ cells, a wall of storage cabinets and the ever famous glass box cell that both slots in and out of the set with ease and doubles as the walls of the pit later into the show. The grey scale decoration allows all parts of the stage to double well as multiple locations whilst also helping the areas not in use blend out of sight into the background. Scene changes require very little movement or extra set which allows the pace of the show to never slow down.

The fast pace not only stops us from getting distracted, but it also elevates the slower and quieter moments of the show allowing actors John Partridge (Hannibal Lecter) and Mollie Gallagher (Clarice)

to build some much needed tension in their scenes together. An effect I particularly enjoyed in these scenes was the subtle use of projection on the upper walls to show when Lecter was getting into Clarice’s head, a depiction of the nerve branches within the brain.

This play is the perfect thriller for those who like an intelligent, fast paced, cat and mouse mystery and regardless of whether you’ve seen the movie or not, a must see for thriller fans. There are a few jump scares and some disturbing visuals here and there but nothing is taken too far.

Rather than a murder mystery type police drama, you see the killer and his victims, you see the clues before the protagonist, and you see how our brilliant female lead unravels it all.  It’s all extremely satisfying.

Gallagher presents us with a strong, emotionally closed off Clarice but as the show goes on is able to expertly unravel the psyche of the character. We see her strange bond with Lecter unfold and her character’s journey as a female within a male dominated field. Partridge’s stillness and power in the role of the cannibal doctor is commendable and chilling yet in some strange way endearing, he really has made the character his own and his strong frame makes the character all that more intimidating. Sam Jackson is a psychological wonder as the killer Jame Gumb, giving us both the charming snare and the mentally unhinged killer. He’s uncomfortable to watch in all the right ways.

Overall, this is an incredible piece of live theatre and from the feedback heard on my way out of the theatre, I don’t think a single audience member would disagree that this is a 5 star production.

You can catch The Silence Of The Lambs at The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh from 8th -12th September. Tickets available at The Silence of the Lambs – Capital Theatres

Reviewer: Beth Eltringham

Reviewed: 8th September 2026

North West End UK Rating: