Review by Jane C and Therese H

Crime drama by Alma Cullen, based on characters created by Colin Dexter

Starring Tom Chambers as Inspector Morse & Tachia Newall as Sergeant Lewis, it was a treat to see one of Britain's most popular fictional detectives given a stage adaptation for the first time.

The play is set in 1987. Following the death of an actress on stage during a performance of Hamlet, we discover that Morse has connections to the director and some of the cast, going back to their university days. The drama that ensued was complex and to follow it the audience needed to understand the tangled relationships between all the characters. This could sometimes be a little difficult as at times the "actor" characters were referred to by their "real" names, and at other times by the name of the character they were playing in the Hamlet production.

However, the evolution of the case was well done. The production had a good pace with slick, seamless scene changes that helped to move the story along. The actors were good, Tachia Newall making the character of Lewis his own whilst staying true to the role of Morse’s loyal Sergeant.

Final verdict: an enjoyable play and a good afternoon out.