Nostalgia and crime merge in Midsommer Murders, currently showing at Theatre Royal...
Midsomer Murders has arrived at Theatre Royal with a bang. Featuring the TV show's very own original Sergeant Troy, Daniel Casey, who has been promoted to Inspector Barnaby for the stage. This show has all the classic nostalgia you know and expect from an episode of Midsomer Murders but the stage really adds a special element.
Set in the peaceful yet seemingly deadly County of Midsomer and village of Badgers Drift this tale follows a determined friend, Lucy Bellringer, desperate for justice for the well loved spinster Emily Simpson. With the help of Sergeant Troy and Inspector Barnaby they encounter plenty of twists, affairs and even more gruesome ends met along the way to finding the truth.
The lively cast of villagers, played in double roles by the cast, were fantastic at showing small village life with everyone knowing each other's every move. Each character was so unique and frankly quite strange it kept you gripped to know more as each of their secrets were revealed.
Each character was so unique and frankly quite strange it kept you gripped to know more as each of their secrets were revealed.
The set design alone is worth the ticket price as you see the stage physically transform with each new scene taking you deeper into the village of Badgers Drift. From the large manor on top of the hill, to the doctors kitchen, their use of props and moving parts was incredibly engaging. They even were able to play out flashbacks to the crime itself cleverly using different heights and spaces across the set.
The set also really lended itself to the comedy in the show, with a hearty amount of laughter coming from the audience throughout as characters were slowly pulled off stage with their set. Although serious at times, the comedy shone through with each character hitting the mark between quirky and sinister.
It’s clear this show has been adapted to be more than just the Midsomer Murders we would expect, this is proven particularly during a dream scene featuring a dance sequence and a giant waltzing gnome - you’d have to see it to believe it.
And of course the show provides a dramatic twist ending that you definitely won’t see coming.
There's still a chance to grab your tickets for the show as it runs at the Theatre Royal until Saturday 28 of February before moving across the country.
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