%20in%20The%20Killings%20at%20Badger's%20Drift,%20%C2%A9Manuel%20Harlan.jpg)
Review by Paul Towers, 14/4/26
Midsomer Murders by Guy Unsworth, original
novel by Caroline Graham
Directed by Guy Unsworth
Produced by Nicholson Green Productions &
Colin Ingram Ltd
At Curve til Saturday 18th April
2026
In Midsomer there is always a murder. Or two
or three or …
Midsomer Murders, The Killings at Badgers
Drift is the stage version of the very first TV episode from way back in 1997.
Quite why we have had to wait so long for this touring version, I don’t know.
But it was well worth the anticipation.
So, to the plot. There are no spoilers here.
When beloved spinster of the parish Emily Simpson is found dead in the
picturesque village of Badgers Drift her best friend Lucy Bellringer (Julie
Legrand) is convinced her demise was no accident and urges DCI Barnaby to
investigate. To much laughter from the audience, Barnaby says he has been in
Midsomer for 30 years and this is his first potential murder.
DCI Tom Barnaby (Daniel Casey), along with
his naïve Detective Sergeant Gavin Troy (James Bradwell), starts rooting around
in the world of hidden passions, long buried secrets and deadly rivalries that
inhabit the seemingly perfect village of Badgers Drift.
Without giving anything away I can almost
guarantee the ending will be completely left-field. And all the more satisfying
for it. As well as being a conventional murder mystery Midsomer Murders is intentionally
hilarious, much more so than the TV original.
The main actors are supported by an ingeniously
cast ensemble playing with no regard for gender, and have a whale of a time.
The script by Guy Unsworth more or less follows the original plot lines but he
has inserted loads of knowing nods to the original. You don’t have to have seen
any of the TV series to appreciate the humour. But if you are an aficionado then
the enjoyment of all the in-jokes makes it even better.
For the avid viewer it is of especial satisfaction
to know that Daniel Casey, now playing DCI Barnaby, was the original DS Troy.
Which just goes to show that if you put the time in promotion will follow. LOL
Midsomer Murders is at Curve until Saturday
18th April and then continues to tour.
https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/
%20&%20Julie%20Legrand%20(Lucy%20Bellringer)%20in%20The%20Killings%20at%20Badger's%20Drift,%20%C2%A9Manuel%20Harlan.jpg)
%20&%20Rupert%20Sadler%20(Dennis%20Rainbird)%20in%20The%20Killings%20at%20Badger's%20Drift,%20%C2%A9Manuel%20Harlan.jpg)
%20in%20The%20Killings%20at%20Badger's%20Drift,%20credit%20Manuel%20Harlan.jpg)
,%20James%20Bradwell%20(Troy)%20&%20Rupert%20Sadler%20(Dennis%20Rainbird)%20in%20The%20Killings%20at%20Badger's%20Drift,%20%C2%A9Manuel%20Harlan.jpg)
,%20Julie%20Legrand%20(Terry%20Bazeley)%20&%20James%20Bradwell%20(Troy)%20in%20The%20Killings%20at%20Badger's%20Drift,%20%C2%A9Manuel%20Harlan.jpg)
%20&%20Daniel%20Casey%20(Barnaby)%20in%20The%20Killings%20at%20Badger's%20Drift,%20credit%20Manuel%20Harlan.jpg)
%20&%20Nathalie%20Barclay%20(Judith%20Lessiter)%20in%20The%20Killings%20at%20Badger's%20Drift,%20%C2%A9Manuel%20Harlan.jpg)
%20&%20Nathalie%20Barclay%20(Katherine%20Lacey)%20in%20The%20Killings%20at%20Badger's%20Drift,%20%C2%A9Manuel%20Harlan.jpg)
%20in%20The%20Killings%20at%20Badger's%20Drift,%20%C2%A9Manuel%20Harlan.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment