Midsomer Murders: The Killings at Badger’s Drift
Caroline Graham, adapted and directed by Guy Unsworth
Richmond Theatre and touring.
Star rating: 4
This stage version of one of ITV’s all time favourites comes with as much sunny nostalgia as a really good cream tea. The only way to carry off something quite so daft is to play it with warm affection and humour which is what Guy Unsworth does. And it works a treat from the use of the familiar theme music to the best line in the piece which is Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby (Daniel Casey) declaring at the end: “I’ve worked in Midsomer county for thirty years and while I can’t pretend it boasts the lowest crime rates in England …”
It was a stroke of genius to cast Casey, once Sargeant Troy to John Nettles’s Barnaby, to play Barnaby now. He finds all the decency, intelligence and gentle wit that this most straightforward of men has and acts as quasi fixed point when nearly everyone else around him is eccentrically, maybe criminally, over the top. James Bradwell is strong as his Sergeant Troy too, often a foil for the humour.
So how does this production pack this complicated and most implausible of jolly, rural murder mysteries? The plot is so convoluted that I shall make no attempt to summarise it here. Suffice it to say that several people are killed in a tiny village community and the culprit or culprits must be found. Five main cast members multi-role with panache and almost imperceptibly. Rupert Sadler’s slimy, camp undertaker is a caricature but it’s hilarious especially at home with his mother (John Dougall – also superb in two other roles) driving a show-stopping tea trolley. Then Sadler reappears as grumpy artist, Michael Lacey who has an interesting sister – remember Richard, a “message” says. It’s a Wagnerian crossword clue, as it were. There’s another splendid performance from Julie Legrand who has enormous fun hamming up this feisty, querulous, bossy Miss Bellringer – as well as playing two other characters.
Although the show is a bit long and could probably shed 10 minutes, it mostly hurtles along with slightly jokey, dramatic background music by Max Pappenheim. David Woodhead’s set is almost as witty as the script with rooms and furniture or little spaces flying in or sliding on from the side and there’s a sort of miniature village projected through a circular window on the back wall which is attractively in keeping with the whole ambience. Built into the mix is mime – oh that car with the wind down windows! – tableaux and a lot of fine timing. And what a good idea to dress the stage crew as police officers.
It’s not Hamlet but it’s highly entertaining and beautifully done: great theatre if not Great Theatre and perfect for a winter evening. It deserves to do well on its forthcoming tour.
