House of Ghosts begins with a stirring scene from Hamlet, which soon takes a harrowing turn when the lead actress playing Ophelia starts coughing up blood and collapses mid-performance. The stage falls into chaos until Detective Chief Inspector Morse makes an unexpected entry from the audience, masterfully taking control of the situation and turning our play into a chilling murder mystery.

Considered to be one of the greatest British crime drama series, House of Ghosts is the first major stage adaptation in the Inspector Morse universe, which consists of an immensely popular book series and a hit TV show. The play is an original story written by the late Alma Cullen who also worked on four episodes of the original television series. It is directed by the accomplished director of thrillers such as The Girl on the Train and Dial M for Murder, Anthony Banks.

This classic whodunnit has an intriguing play-within-play structure with its intermittent scenes from Hamlet and a story that unfolds backstage. I found the play to be incredibly gripping and break-neck in its pace. Not a moment is wasted, and we were on the edge of our seats for the whole two-hour performance. The play does feel a bit rushed towards the end with its major reveals, but you will be left gasping in shock as long-buried secrets come to light.

The cerebral detective Morse and his sidekick Lewis are reminiscent of Sherlock and Dr. Watson; they have an easy dynamic and are a fun pair to follow as they solve crimes together. This story in particular feels higher stakes than usual given that many of the characters implicated were old connections of Morse’s from his time at university. We get a closer look at Morse’s personal life and vulnerabilities as secrets from 25 years ago are dredged up.

Tom Chambers embodies the titular character of Inspector Morse, played on the small screen by the legendary John Thaw. Chambers does a brilliant job portraying this rational and clever character, who is at heart a cynic. We see him switch between hardy detective and flustered romantic moment to moment. The acting is sharp and the dialogue clear across the board. I was a fan of the quick and creative transitions between each scene. I must commend Robert Mountford, who does an unimaginable job in his double role as director Lawrence and Monsignor Paul Kincaid; I didn’t realise both characters were played by the same actor until I read the programme after the play, and would have never suspected so!

Inspector Morse is a thrilling story of a murdered actress and an assortment of interconnected suspects. We get to follow along with Morse in real-time as details emerge and secrets are divulged. I would highly recommend going in with no knowledge of the play and can guarantee you will be thrown for a loop trying to guess who the murderer is!

Rating: 4.5/5

Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts plays at the Birmingham Rep till 14^th September 2025 before it embarks on a major UK tour

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