The Silence of the Lambs – Hull New Theatre

There was a definite chill in the air even before the curtain rose on the psychological thriller The Silence of the Lambs when it started its run at the Hull New Theatre on Monday evening; the theatre itself was extremely cold, making it quite an uncomfortable experience for we theatregoers.

However, the world stage play premiere of this production, based on Thomas Harris’s 1988 book, would have chilled us through, even if the theatre’s heating had been on full blast.

I was genuinely scared a lot of the time during the show.

Written by the award-winning Gina Gionfriddo and directed by the acclaimed Nikolai Foster, the story delves into areas that the 1991 film didn’t have time to.

As Gionfriddo explains: “The producers have the rights to the book, but not the film, so anything original to the film is off limits”.

The story centres around FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Mollie Gallagher of Coronation Street fame, in her professional theatre debut).

Sent to interview infamous murderer Dr Hannibal Lecter (John Partridge, TV personality and ex Eastenders favourite), an inmate at the Baltimore Hospital for the Criminally Insane, she is instructed not to divulge any information about herself, but just to get him to sign a questionnaire which may lead him to reveal all he knows of the whereabouts of serial killer Buffalo Bill (Sam Jackson).

Bill, real name Jame Gumb, kills his female victims, skins them, placing moth cocoons in their throats, and Jackson’s portrayal scarily takes us deep into the killer’s warped mind.

Funnily enough, Jackson is known for his role in Skins – how spooky is that!

As Clarice’s visits to Lecter become more numerous, another girl, Senator’s daughter Catherine Martin (Lottie Amor) goes missing and it’s feared she will soon become the latest victim of Buffalo Bill.

Time and time again Clarice’s boss, Jack Crawford (Oliver Farnworth of Emmerdale fame) warns the trainee not to let Lecter get inside her head.

However, killer and cannibal Lecter, spending life in a windowless, glass-walled cell in the hospital’s basement, has questions of his own and, with desperate Crawford’s eventual permission, Clarice reveals more of her personal life to the deranged killer.

He is particularly interested in the time, as a child living on a farm, she wakes up to lambs being slaughtered and, picking up a lamb, runs away with it to try, unsuccessfully, to save its life.

But in exchange for information re Buffalo Bill, including his real name, Lecter demands to be moved to a cell with a window, having never seen the sky for eight years.

in desperation for the whereabouts of her kidnapped daughter, the Senator tells the police to give Lecter anything he wants – resulting in unbelievably scary consequences, nail-biting for us to watch and fatal for one unfortunate soul on stage.

But, be warned, that’s not the only fatality.

We witness Buffalo Bill’s bone-chilling behaviour as he entices young women into his lair, leaving us in no doubt as to what fate awaits them.

Dressed most of the time in his undies, sometimes topped with a fur coat, his actions apparently stem from his mother’s treatment of him in childhood – plus, she always wore a fur coat. And Jackson is very convincing in the role – silent but deadly.

Hannibal “the cannibal” is much too clever to divulge any of his personal traits, apart from the ones already known to the authorities.

Partridge’s Lecter is calm with outbursts of anger, which, when accompanied by loud music, made me jump out of my skin.

He plays the cannibal doctor in an understated and mostly quiet way that oozed menace – but when he was released from his glass box for transportation, that’s when his real character emerges, that had me looking through my fingers at proceedings on stage.

But Gionfriddo’s adaptation mainly focuses on Clarice and Gallagher’s brilliant portrayal of the FBI trainee is measured, calm and determined, yet reckless at times, letting nothing stand in her way of beating Lecter at his own mind game.

But does she get too close for (our) comfort to the cannibal psychiatrist and will her actions bring Buffalo Bill’s reign of terror to an end, thus saving the senator daughter’s life?

The whole production kept us in the fairly full venue on the edge of our seats and I’ve never known the theatre be so quiet as if, collectively, everyone was constantly holding their breath.

All the above played out on a dingy grey stage setting that was just perfect for proceedings. Brick walls surrounded a metal walkway and staircase, with lights hung from on high.

Dr Lecter’s glass cell slowly cruised into view from stage left, revealing his bed, toilet, washbasin and pictures hung on the wall. At times, with the walls darkened, the roof was also used as Buffalo Bill’s lair with his victim trapped below awaiting her fate.

Other scenes showed a police shooting range at which Clarice excelled – a skill that comes in handy later in the show.

The only blast of colour was a lovely red dress gifted to Clarice by the family of Buffalo Bill’s first victim, sewing enthusiast Fredrica Bimmel (a dual role for Lottie Amor).

This premiere really is a scare-fest. Bravo to those actors who scared the wits out of us, you all deserved the standing ovations given my many in the audience at the show’s finale.

* Please note this production contains disturbing scenes of threats, violence and murder, very strong language, onstage prosthetic human remains, sexual references, sexual harassment and violence, flashing lights, haze and loud noises (including gunshots).

Age guidance 15+. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

The Silence of the Lambs runs until Saturday, November 7th, 2026 at Hull New Theatre with tickets available from (01482) 300306 and www.hulltheatres.co.uk

Reviewer: Jackie Foottit

Reviewed: 2nd November 2026

North West End UK Rating: