Murder at Midnight
- Steve Griffiths
- 3 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Torben Betts
Original Theatre
Lowry, Salford
January 19-24, 2026; 1hr 50mins
(also at Grand Theatre, Blackpool, January 28-31; Floral Pavilion, New Brighton, February 24-28)
Murder at Midnight is billed as a comedy thriller - an oxymoron, perhaps, but at least five eighths true. Writer Torben Betts calls it a farce "written by Tarantino and Feydeau", but the play demonstrates how hard it is to write a good one. Come back Brian Rix (for younger readers, he was a celebrated director and actor famous for the genre).
Director Philip Franks compares it to a Jacobean drama. As these rely on a mix of sexual allure and blood, I suppose it might be an accurate description. But Middleton and his ilk drove the action forwards with gusto and brains - albeit on the floor - but this is a pale imitation; virtually no gore till the end of the play.
Jason Durr plays the lead character, Jonny Cyclops, and does it well. I can see him as a pantomime pirate; slapping his leg with his other arm round a woman or a captive, drinking heartily and talking to his parrot. He exudes genial violence. The great Susie Blake plays his mum - a cockney character, all dementia and sequins - who is his onstage equal. She has been around for a long time and knows how to gull an audience.
Most of the rest of the cast members act their socks off to make the audience respond. Which we were very willing to do, but not helped in that pursuit by the leaden script.
Two cast members stand out as people to look out for in future, better shows. Iryna Poplavska gives her all with such lame lines as "The signal isn’t good here; I must go outside". And Callum Balmforth, once he takes off his clown mask (don’t ask) is definitely one for the future. Kate McGlyn’s claim to fame is that she comes from my home town of Rochdale.
The set, a series of box rooms at different levels, is one of the high points, so take a bow, designer Colin Falconer.
The theatre marketing department's ability to raise an audience is amazing, in that it can build an audience - the theatre was full - for the most unlikely of plays. As To Kill a Mockingbird is on at the same time, I do wonder that some people might have wandered into the wrong play. Good acting. Good set; shame about the play.
More info and tickets here
