The scene is set – a quaint English village, a cast of local characters and a lovely summer’s day. Oh, yes, and a murder, or may even more than one. All essential ingredients of Midsomer Murders, and the new stage version delivers these and more.
This week sees Midsomer come to Brighton, and it will have everyone guessing throughout the performance. The story is based in Badger’s Drift, a village where the two streets and the large house contain secrets. We meet Emily Simpson, a beloved local school teacher who delights in finding rare orchids, but alas, we don’t get to see her for long as she is struck down by an unknown assailant with a motivation that is not clear to us as yet. Various twists are presented to us, characters display their strange behaviours and avenues of investigation are opened up before us, but only one man will ever get to the bottom of it all, and Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby is on hand to help us solve the mystery.
This is a great production, taking a much loved classic and expanding it to have a theatrical feel. This is achieved through the tight group of actors who seemlessly flit between an array of characters. They are able to appear on stage in completely different personas and carry them off well, with a knowing nod the audience to say that we know that you know as well. This was brilliantly achieved by Chandrika Chevli who presented two characters at once, using a half-and-half technique but taking it further than usual, allowing the two characters to walk in different ways at the same time. Very funny.
James Bradwell (Detective Sergeant Gavin Troy) also provided a great variety on stage, despite staying in only one character role. He was able to act as the foil to the joke, bring strong emotions out and always ready to back up his boss. Daniel Casey (Chief Inspector Barnaby), who has been promoted from his original role of Troy in the series, is a worthy Chief Inspector, keeping himself connected with all the characters, staying aloof and delivering the reveal speech at the end with suitable gravitas.
The staging was also perfect for this performance. Clever trolleys arrive on stage throughout the piece creating micro-stages and keep the eye moving. The beauty of village life is portrayed through a model which also evolves, and the physicality of the actors within the space makes gives the sense of place throughout.
This production has a strong nod to English farce, with exaggerated characters who are able to ham it up and get away with delivering some lines designed to let the audience in on the joke. The trimming of the front bush got a great laugh, and yes, we did want to know who she was showing off to. The script plays on stereotypes from English life, but also presents some modern twists. Based on the books of the original author, Caroline Graham, the piece has a strong sense of intrigue throughout and we spent the whole interval talking about who it could be, our theories and possible endings.
If you loved the original series, this production gives both a nostalgic nod and a new take on the genre. Everything gets tied up nicely as you’d expect, we leave with a respect for Barnaby’s skills and a resolve never to live anywhere like Midsomer, although it was great fun to visit for a while.
Midsomer Murders plays at the Theatre Royal, Brighton on:
Wednesday 4th February – 7.30 pm
Thursday 5th February – 2.30 & 7.30 pm
Friday 6th February – 7.30 pm
Saturday 7th February – 2.30 & 7.30 pm
Tickets are available from Theatre Royal, Brighton.
