Welcome to a new post.

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Hello everyone and welcome to a new post.

SPOLILERS AHEAD.

Here is my review of the House of Ghosts starring Tom Chambers as Morse.

Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts is an original mystery written by Alma Cullen, a seasoned writer from the original Inspector Morse TV series, (The Secret of Bay 5B, The Infernal Serpent, Fat Chance and and The Death of the Self) and directed by Anthony Banks. It premiered in Birmingham in August 2025 before embarking on a national tour, playing in towns and cities including Aylesbury, Brighton, Norwich, Sheffield, Liverpool and continuing into early 2026 at venues such as Theatre Royal Newcastle and of course Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre.

Festival Theatre.

It’s 1987. The story opens in meta-theatrical fashion, with a performance of Hamlet underway only for a cast member to drop dead on stage; Rebecca as Ophelia. Morse (played by Tom Chambers) who was attending the play jumps on to the stage and tells everyone to remain where they are. What seems like an isolated incident quickly unfolds into a complex and haunting mystery with connections to his own past.

Chambers brings a warmth and accessibility to the role, choosing not to mimic John Thaw’s iconic portrayal. However, I did find his portrayal of Morse as being too excitable, too animated, too clumsy and too theatrical. I understand that Tom Chambers has to distance himself from the the Morse of the novels and TV show but I think it was too far removed from those sources.

Some of the cast were good especially Tachia Newall’s Lewis. Again, like Tom Chambers regarding John Thaw, Tachia is following in the giant footsteps of Kevin Whately. Tachia was engaging and his performance was more understated and was all the better for it.

House of Ghosts had an authentic mystery feel with plenty of twists which are reminiscent of the TV show and Morse novels. The meta-theatrical-framing I found irritating apart from the initial scene when we have the death of Rebecca.

House of Ghosts wrestles with serious material — murder, perfidy, sexual mental scarring But this is at times undercut with scenes that felt close to farce and some performances that bordered on pantomime.

There are quite a few moments of nostalgia from the music to classic Morse dialogue references. (One error is Morse stating that he left Oxford University two years before the end of his degree when it was only one year).

The pacing had some issues. I felt the show sprinted through scenes without giving key moments time to breathe, weakening tension and dramatic build-up. This wasn’t helped by the choppy structure: A deliberate use of short, filmic scenes I saw as distracting rather than immersive, with abrupt transitions that fractured dramatic continuity. Locations included a production of Hamlet, a church, a park, a pub, a police station, a living room and others. Designers used a modular, actor-moved set that, while clever, occasionally disrupted the narrative flow. Lighting effects were atmospheric but at times overwhelmed rather than enhanced certain scenes.

The directorial option of the meta approach (actors playing actors and theatre within theatre) hindered, for me, emotional engagement and strained believability at times. There were too many theatrical gimmicks.

The humour also fell flat for the majority of the audience. I disliked the meta jokes about mobile phones, DNA etc. The director of Hamlet, played by Jason Done, says that he wished there was a phone that was mobile so he could take calls anywhere (I believe mobile phones were around in 1987 but were brick sized.). Lewis mentions to Morse that he was on a forensic course and the lecturer mentioned that within ten years DNA would be a useful tool in solving crimes. The actors all but but did a huge wink to the audience.

Many of the actors gave an engaging performance especially, Tachia Newall as Lewis and Teresa Banham as Ellen and Jason Done. Jason plays two characters, the sadistic and narcissistic director of Hamlet, Lawrence and Paul a former actor now a Monseigneur and one time love rival of Morse. Jason does a good job in making the characters distinctly different so that the audience is never confused as to what part he is playing.

The sound designer, Beth Duke, creates a necessary atmosphere. She mostly uses Schubert, and later in the play creates the song ‘The Miller and the Brook’ ( a song about unrequited love) which metamorphoses into the Barrington Pheloung theme. There’s a surge of the Countess from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. During the opening scene of Hamlet, Wagner’s Meistersingers prelude can be heard.

Theatre goers would have to concentrate hard to find the clues which are, of course, drowning in a sea of red herrings.

Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts is an ambitious and affectionate tribute to a beloved British detective, offering a almost satisfying dose of mystery theatre. While it may not fully escape its TV roots or satisfy purists, like me, who expect a perfect translation to stage, it provides enough intriguing plot twists, character depth and nostalgic charm to make it well worth seeing — especially for fans of the original series.

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Did you see the play? What are your thoughts on House of Ghosts? Let me know in the comments.

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