The Stage

House of Ghosts (An Inspector Morse Mystery)

Published Wednesday 8 September 2010 at 11:50 by John Thaxter

Two decades ago when the Inspector Morse television series had used up all the Colin Dexter novels, the author suggested plot-lines for several original screenplays, four of which were created by Alma Cullen.

The format of Cullen’s clever new stage play, in which a young professional actress playing Ophelia dies suddenly mid-performance, strongly suggests that it comes from the same stable. The result is a fluent, fast-moving plot with a dozen locations that simply cry out for the flexibility and focus of film.

Faced with this complexity director Rob Herford has opted to stage the piece as if it were a Shakespeare play - in this case Hamlet with an ecclesiastical stage setting - as actors come on, speak their lines with brisk efficiency then march off into the wings to make way for the next scene.

I wish I could report favourably on this arrangement but the upshot is that each scene marks a new beginning and the busy traffic of the stage detracts from character and plot development, as well as inspiring baffling tableau in the background.

Luckily the cast come to the rescue with many scenes of dramatic power, especially when Colin Baker as Morse gets his opportunity at the Oxford cop-shop to interrogate his suspects with wit and a fine disregard for police etiquette.

Among those required to explain their movements and motives are David Acton as the director with a casting couch, Lynette Edwards playing an elegantly fashionable academic, Caroline Harding as a credible New York producer and Gay Soper doing a lovely turn as a super trouper with a booze problem - which won her a deserved personal round at the official first night.