Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts - UK Tour Review
- Thomas Levi
- Oct 1
- 5 min read
★★☆☆☆
Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts is a thrilling new chapter for Morse fans, offering a new medium for the beloved character to flourish. With an original story written by Alma Cullen, House of Ghosts invites Inspector Morse to the stage with his beloved tropes and promises of twists. But does it bring enough depth for those who love Morse, or does its ambition falter?
The play introduces the classic detective into a new story made for the stage. When a young actress playing Ophelia dies suddenly during a production of Hamlet, Inspector Morse, alongside DS Lewis, is thrust into an investigation filled with old friends, university rivalries, and secrets buried 25 years in the past. As the plot unfolds through scenes on stage, backstage, and through Morse’s memories, the play moves through multiple locations and suspects, each clue and red herring aimed at revealing the truth behind Rebecca’s death and a connection to Morse’s own university days.
Where this production most clearly succeeds is in its respect for Morse’s DNA and its ability to conjure atmosphere. Alma Cullen’s writing remains faithful to Colin Dexter’s original creation, retaining the detective’s gruffness, specificity, and moral ambiguity. Tom Chambers’ interpretation acknowledges the legacy while adding subtle, modern shades. His Morse still grumbles over a drink and crossword clues, but there’s a gentler, almost laid-back quality to him that peeks through at times. It is an alternative interpretation of the role and one that demonstrates Chambers has thought carefully about what makes Morse tick.
And yet, while Chambers is undoubtedly the anchor of House of Ghosts, the restraint of his performance often felt more suited to television than to the stage. His choices were nuanced and authentic, but in the theatre space, they sometimes became lost amid the more overtly theatrical performances surrounding him. Audiences expected Morse’s presence to dominate the stage, as he does in the investigation. In contrast, Tachia Newall’s DS Lewis brought a fresh and invigorating energy to the production. His Lewis was warm, witty, and sharply observed, offering moments of levity without ever undermining the seriousness of the case. It was a performance that felt rounded, modern, and deeply engaging. More importantly, it complemented Chambers’ quieter Morse perfectly, creating a partnership with real chemistry and respect.
Another victory was Beth Duke’s sound design, which gave the production much of its atmosphere and urgency. The ambient soundscapes complement the scenes. More impressive still was the dynamic use of volume and direction: sound didn’t merely accompany the action; it shaped our experience of it, diverting and controlling the audience’s attention at crucial moments. Duke’s work reminded me how vital sound can be in a genre so reliant on suspense; it was the invisible hand guiding the story.
Yet for all its ambition, House of Ghosts often stumbles under its own momentum. The pace is relentless, with scenes shifting so quickly that revelations feel blurred rather than earned. Instead of allowing the audience to linger on a clue or savour a red herring, the production barrels forward, leaving little room for speculation or suspense. Alma Cullen’s script is impressively lean; every detail, every line of dialogue ultimately feeds into the conclusion, but this efficiency comes at a cost. Without breathing space, the thrill of detective work is lost. By the time the final scene arrives, we’re not relishing the satisfaction of piecing together the puzzle ourselves; we’re simply handed the solution, neatly tied up. The result is less a rewarding whodunnit than a lecture with the answers provided, which leaves the audience feeling more cheated than challenged.
Secondly, the staging is overburdened by constant location changes, which too often feel confusing and unnecessary. Props, set pieces, and furniture are shuffled around with such frequency that characters are sometimes left standing idle as the mechanics of the production whirr around them. These transitions rarely justify their length; instead of heightening atmosphere, they slow momentum and, in some cases, prompt the audience to drift into side conversations. It almost feels like House of Ghosts was conceived for a film or TV production, where the luxury of multiple locations looks effortless. Unfortunately, on stage, each scene change eats into the narrative flow.
What’s most frustrating is how many of these elaborate shifts serve little dramatic purpose. More than once, pieces of the set were wheeled on only to be ignored. One example was an operating fan perched on a filing cabinet: whirring away, pulling focus, and never actually used. It’s a small detail, perhaps, but a telling one, because it shows how over-complication distracts from the story. A more streamlined design could have kept the audience’s attention where it belonged.
Among the suspects, Charlotte Randle embodies Verity, a larger-than-life actress with personal dramas, adding a splash of theatrical excess at just the right moments. Justin, played by Spin Glancy, gives huge amounts of energy and edge, making him intriguing whenever he’s on stage. Robert Mountford, playing Lawrence Baxter, the old adversarial director, is theatrically bold, possessing some of the show's loudest and most memorable elements, especially when the mystery tightens. In fact, the cast was strong and created some very interesting characters.
Unfortunately, several structural and narrative choices significantly undermine House of Ghosts, with the most damaging being how the story undercuts Morse’s intelligence. Instead of showcasing the razor-sharp detective audiences know and admire, the script leaves him looking oddly inept. Early in the play, Morse’s superintendent accurately deduces the ‘culprit’. When the final reveal merely confirms this, Morse’s vaunted brilliance feels hollow. If this had been pitched as a portrait of a younger Morse still finding his feet, the choice might have worked. But given that the play also runs a parallel thread about his academic scholarship at Oxford, a narrative designed to underline his intellectual mastery, the effect is contradictory and disappointing.
Equally problematic is a subplot involving Justin’s sexuality. Introduced as a potential red herring, the suggestion is that his hidden homosexuality might have heightened tensions with the victim. Yet the thread is left dangling, unresolved and irrelevant to the mystery. The only conclusion it offers is Morse’s offhand remark to Lewis that ‘in 1987 people still don’t like the gays.’ Rather than adding nuance or social context, the moment feels clumsy, unnecessary, and alienating. It’s less a resolution than a slap in the face.
Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts is far from perfect, but it’s not without merit. For fans of Morse, there’s real joy here: nods to the source, echoes of TV classics, and moments that feel lovingly curated. If you like your whodunnits fast-paced and your characters recognisable, there’s enough here to satisfy. But if you’re hoping for razor-sharp suspense, unbroken pacing, and mysteries that let you chew every clue, this might feel a bit rushed.
