★★★★

“A brilliant thriller that keeps you guessing”

Murder at Midnight written by Torben Betts is a comedy thriller full of twists, turns and jaw dropping absurdity. It is a ninety minute countdown to the start of a New Year, set in the luxury mansion of a one eyed cockney drug dealer named Jonny the Cyclops (Jason Durr). Throughout the evening we see his mother (Susie Blake), his girlfriend Lisa (Iryna Poplavska), his sidekick (Peter Moreton) and his maid Cristina (Bella Farr) all spin a complicated web of deceit, scandal and lies until it all comes crashing down – this play is truly a classic farce.

Before anything begins, the glorious set design (Colin Falconer) quickly paints a picture of what is about to come, and in the first scene we are fed very specific details about the main events, however this is not nearly enough to prepare you for what is in store. During the play we witness multiple storylines and relationships unfold at a very fast pace, you have no choice but to focus and keep up, but the actors make this such an enjoyable experience. Their characterisation and heightened physicality really keeps the energy from beginning to end. They commit truly to the high stakes built within outrageous circumstances. We see shifting dynamics in relationships and some serious status play that keeps you on your toes. The actors were connected to their roles and each other throughout so well, it really allows you to get invested in the characters.

We also meet Paul (Max Bowden) and Russell (Callum Balmforth) who join in on this masterclass on physical and vocal comedy. They both offer even more insanity and foolishness to this play, leaving you either shaking your head at them, laughing with them or laughing at them. Having a collaboration of household names, together on stage, really gives the performance that “Saturday evening entertainment” feel. You feel connected as an audience with the undercurrent themes of British humour, references and character archetypes that we know and love. Even the music connects us back to British culture and social commentary making everything feel all the more familiar.

Director Philip Franks, has done a great job in finding harmony in an already chaotic play. He moves us from location to location, he keeps every spot of the stage alive and you always have something to see or witness! As one storyline unfolds, you get the sweet treat of seeing another be foretold, and it is all just a rollercoaster. To be able to manage so many different components that this play offers is a real talent, and in ninety minutes Franks really showcases his creativity and genius for visual storytelling and directing.

Murder at Midnight is both everything and nothing you would expect from a murder mystery. However, there is a certain warmth to a play, that when it is well oiled and has been played to an audience a few times or rehearsed to an audience worthy standard multiple times, you can feel it – everything feels slick, and you are invested in a new reality. This warmth was present, but there were small moments where it was absent and stuck out a little harshly. A few stumbles on lines and a few inconsistent holes, most of which can easily be worked out over the run.

This play is fun but dark. There is a constant foreboding atmosphere and it is full of clever jokes with expert timing. A brilliant thriller that keeps you guessing until it is all tied up with a shocking surprise at the end. It is the truest form of a British farce disguised as a murder mystery and who couldn’t love that?

THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY

Richmond Theatre

★★★

“inventive, stylised and almost cinematic”

Imagine if you could live your life like a movie set, and you were the director. If things weren’t going quite the way you wanted, you could call “Cut!” and re-run the scene with the desired outcome. Tom Ripley has gained this advantageous gift in Mark Leipacher’s touring adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr Ripley”. It is a neat theatrical device applied to a character who lives, not just on his wits, but by the skin of his teeth. Unfortunately, though, it does chip away at the sympathy we are supposed to feel for this con artist and serial killer. The perverse beauty of Highsmith’s creation is that it is near impossible not to root for Tom Ripley, despite his psychotic tendencies. The emotional engagement is dampened which, in turn, undermines the suspense.

That said, Ed McVey is fascinating and charismatic as Tom Ripley. Overflowing with energy he is onstage throughout, commanding our attention and drawing us into his subterfuge by alternately addressing the audience before plunging back again into the thrilling story. Like unwitting accomplices, we tag along as his life spirals deeper into deception. Ripley is at a bit of a dead end, scraping by as a small time grifter until approached by shipping magnate Herbert Greenleaf (a cool Christopher Bianchi) who sets the wheels of Ripley’s adventures in motion. Herbert’s son, Dickie (Bruce Herbelin-Earle), is living it up in Italy showing no signs of coming home. Mistakenly believing Ripley to be a close friend of Dickie’s, Herbert offers him an all expenses paid trip to persuade the wayward son to return home. Eyeing a way out of the mess his life has become in America – and a free holiday – Ripley readily accepts. Thus begins his murderous journey.

It is a fast-paced journey, the sense of location created almost single handedly by Zeynep Kepekli’s lighting; a series of neon fluorescent tubes that transport us from the buzz of New York City nightlife to an Italian sunset, and into the depths of the Mediterranean Sea. The stark blackness of Holly Pigott’s set allows shadowy figures to prowl and watch from the sidelines, ever circling and closing in. The ensemble cast break away from the shadows to take on multiple supporting roles. But the focus is on Ripley and his ill-fated victims.

Herbelin-Earle, as Dickie, is refreshingly humble for a playboy of such privilege. Easy-going and relaxed, his voice is a touch more stilted however, as it searches for depth that isn’t really there. Maisie Smith, as Dickie’s frustrated girlfriend Marge, is down to earth, making good use of her underwritten role. Sometimes the secondary roles fare better. Cary Crankson steps out of the ensemble to play a convincing Freddie Miles, almost succeeding in tripping up and exposing Ripley before adding to the body count.

Leipacher’s production is inventive, stylised and almost cinematic. The first act flirts with film-noir while the second half homes in more on the plot twists as the pace quickens and the cat and mouse game gets in full swing, even if the suspense factor manages to escape the chase. Ripley spends a lot of the time thinking on the spot, making it up just so he can get out of his latest scrape. Leipacher’s “The Talented Mr Ripley” is quite the opposite. It is creatively and finely thought out from start to finish. Imaginative, clever, innovative and despite the theatrical trickery, respectfully faithful to Highsmith’s original.

Tag Archives: Max Pappenheim

MURDER AT MIDNIGHT

★★★★

UK Tour

MURDER AT MIDNIGHT

Churchill Theatre

★★★★

“A brilliant thriller that keeps you guessing”

MURDER AT MIDNIGHT

Churchill Theatre then UK Tour continues

Reviewed on 25th November 2025

by Paige Wilson-Lawrence

Photography by Pamela Raith

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK | ★★★★ | May 2022

MURDER AT

MURDER AT

MURDER AT

THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY

★★★

UK Tour

THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY

Richmond Theatre

★★★

“inventive, stylised and almost cinematic”