★★★★ Midsomer Murders KILLS at the Sheffield Lyceum (sorry, we had to)
- Maisie Ellis
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Being terrified of Midsomer Murders as a child is a core memory for many British people. But after aging and gaining the ability to rationalise, you realise it is a silly, campy show and the “decapitated head” in the episode where they all go to Brighton seems less horrifying and more hammy.
Guy Unsworth has brought Caroline Graham’s novel Midsomer Murders: The Killings at Badger’s Drift to the stage and it is exactly what you would expect a theatrical production of Midsomer Murders to be: unserious, cosy and inherently British.
The dialogue is well written and manages to balance an interesting murder mystery with self-deprecating humour. The audience chuckled knowingly when Detective Barnaby mentioned the “low crime rates” of the area, and when it was noted that the postman, who in a series of unfortunate events discovered each grizzly murder scene, must be having a rough week.
I also feel the need to mention my favourite gag which is probably the campiest scene in the entire show: DCI Barnaby’s dream sequence where he waltzes with a human-sized garden gnome to the TV series’ theme tune.
Daniel Casey, best known for playing Sergeant Troy in ITV’s Midsomer Murders, takes on the role of DCI Barnaby and captures the spirit of the show with ease. His right-hand man, Sgt Troy, is played by James Bradwell who has great comedic timing and the duo play off each other well.
In a panto-esque fashion, some of the cast take on multiple roles. Rupert Sadler is unnerving but incredibly funny as Dennis Rainbird, an undertaker with intense mummy issues, as well as Michael Lacey who, without spoiling the plot, has family issues of another kind.
Chandrika Chevli also delivered a strong performance as Barbara Lessiter and Dickie Whiteley, at one point playing both simultaneously in a gag that required half of each character’s clothes – a credit to the costume team.
While I do not think the play is revolutionary by any means, Midsomer Murders is a fun trip down memory lane that would definitely bring a smile to any Brit’s face.
Click the link below to see where this killer show is heading next.
