‘To Be, or Not to Be…’ – Inspector Morse – House of Ghosts, Churchill Theatre, Bromley 07.10.2025
It was back to the Churchill Theatre, Bromley to catch this weeks production. The play, Inspector Morse – House of Ghosts. Having not really caught the tv series, I did not know what was in store – but I do love a classic whodunnit and trying to figure it out before the end. Sadly, this time I did not! But that is part of the fun.
Based in 1987, Inspector Morse attends a theatre performance of Hamlet during which a young actress playing Ophelia collapses and dies on stage. The death seems suspicious, and Morse, aided by DS Lewis, begins investigating and more surprises – some more close to home. As the play unfolds, tension builds, intertwining the present-day investigation with Morse’s personal experiences, creating a mystery not only around the classic ‘whodunnit’ but also exploring his personal life and history – a haunting from his past it appears.
The play itself had some excellent strong bits, with some great back stories to each of the characters but sometimes there was a bit too much backstory that you got lost in the true case and a bit muddled as to who and what was what – loosing its tension. It was quite serious throughout – meaning concentration needs to be on full power, though I did love the comments on the reliability to technology that in the 80s was scarce compared to todays society!
Tom Chambers steps into the detective shoes of Morse, though I do not have much to compare John Thaw performance who played him on TV. A lot of the audience during the interval were commenting that he has placed his own stamp on the character to allow him to grow within the role. Tachia Newall as DC Lewis, stands alongside Tom perfectly, bringing a warmer character next to Morse – he also had some great comical moments and energy throughout the performance.
The supporting cast were all strong, character Verity played by Eliza Teale, similar to DC Lewis she brought energy and variety with a bit of humour to shed light on the story.
Although the story sometimes lost momentum and didn’t always hold the tension as tightly as it could have, I was still drawn in by the mystery. As someone completely new to the world of Inspector Morse, I wasn’t sure what to expect — but I definitely didn’t see the ending coming. The final reveal caught me off guard in the best way, delivering a clever twist that made the journey feel worthwhile.
Playing at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley until Saturday 11 October for tickets head to their website here. It will then continue on its UK Tour, for all dates and tickets go here.
