It’s hard to believe that 25 years have passed since the last episode of Inspector Morse. During its heyday, the fictional detective was a national institution and was once voted the greatest British crime drama of all time by readers of the Radio Times. The TV series was based on the books by Colin Dexter about a Senior Officer at Oxford Police and his junior sidekick. A quarter of a century later and we return to 1980s Oxford for this stage adaptation from writer Alma Cullen, who scripted many of the TV episodes.
One of the reasons for the success of the TV show was the chemistry between John Thaw as the eponymous Morse and Kevin Whately as Lewis, both giants of the British small screen throughout the 80s and 90s. Tom Chambers (Morse) and Tachia Newell (Lewis) certainly had big boots to fill.
The show began unexpectedly with a scene from Hamlet, which had me wondering if I had arrived at the wrong theatre. But soon the ruse was clear, with the Shakespearean drama a setting for an even more dramatic murder. Morse suddenly appeared from the back of the theatre as a fellow spectator to take command of the situation and seal the crime scene. It was a strong yet playful theatrical start.
Another memorable aspect of the TV show was the filming locations around the beautiful City of Oxford and its world-famous University. Colin Richmond was responsible for taking us back in time and transporting us to Oxford with the set and costume design. Like many aspects of this play, it was always going to be difficult due to the familiarity of the original. The stage was used well, as were the lighting and music to set the scene. There was an element of clunkiness to the use of props.
In between sets, the spare props could be seen clearly from the stalls. However, this wasn’t a distraction and may have been intentional, as much of the play was set in a theatre where this would be a usual backdrop.
Thankfully, Chambers and Newell brought their own impressive interpretation of Morse and Lewis to the party with a respectful nod to the original. The rest of the cast breathed life into the ensemble with Robert Mountford's portrayal of Morse's nemesis, Lawrence and Olivia Onyehara as Lawrence’s wife, catching the eye.
Anthony Banks's direction took advantage of the on-stage setting to create an experience for the audience. The use of multiple on-stage settings, which were switched between using lighting and music, worked well. The Easter egg hunt of nostalgic references to hammer home the era was successful and drew the audience in. But the script itself was slow-paced, convoluted and often a little far-fetched in places. Nevertheless, by the end, all of the loose ends had been tied up.
It isn’t always a good idea to resurrect a dormant character, especially one so popular and recognisable. This stage adaptation is particularly difficult due to the strength of the original main characters and the stunning on-screen locations.
But, in the end, this production is a welcome chapter to his legacy. It is close enough to the original without being verbatim and will satisfy both existing Morse fans and newbies alike.
Production run (The Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield): Tuesday 28– Saturday 01 - November 2025
https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/inspector-morse/dates
Reviewer: Matthew Burgin
On: 28th October 2025
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