REVIEW: Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts, 

Newcastle Theatre Royal 

Until Saturday 5 February 2026 

Alma Cullen’s take on the great Colin Dexter’s grumpy detective takes to the stage this week at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal, with a tale that forces Morse to confront the highs and the lows of his Oxford student days. With Tom Chambers leading the cast as the great inspector himself, the play allows fans to experience a fresh take on Morse, with all of the classic twists and turns you would expect from a whodunnit. 

House of Ghosts sees Morse thrown into a murder investigation that involves friends and enemies from his past, forcing them all to relive some of their most difficult moments and to reveal many long-kept secrets. The fact Morse therefore already knows many of the key suspects is a stroke of genius from Alma Cullen, as it becomes more and more difficult for the brilliant inspector to separate his own feelings from the truth. 

The play itself begins with an on-stage tragedy during a performance of Hamlet, during which, it must be noted, actor Spin Glancy gives a wonderful rendition of some of the Bard’s most powerful lines. Tom Chambers’ (Morse) entrance from the audience allows a wonderful moment of immersion - the lines between the real audience and the Hamlet audience are blurred so convincingly that there is tangible unease in their audience. The props on stage are then swiftly turned to face a theatre auditorium backdrop, allowing the real audience to relax and focus on the crime scene unfolding before them. 

Whilst the movement that takes the audience from the front row of Othello to the backstage drama was my favourite part of the staging, the other scene changes and props were fairly smooth, allowing the show to move between a variety of locations, naturally including Morse’s favourite haunt, the pub. These changes did slow the pace at times, but the pay-off of a more realistic subsequent scene did feel worth it. The music, too, helped maintain some level of pace during the scene changes, consistently in line with the dramatic music one expects from a whodunnit or with Morse’s personal preference for classical music. There were occasions where the sound seemed momentarily tinny, which made me question whether it was an intended sound effect or a phone going off in the audience, but these issues were quickly rectified. 

It is naturally impossible to talk about Inspector Morse without mentioning John Thaw and Kevin Whately. Indeed, I credit my love of a detective drama to those family evenings watching Morse and his right-hand man, and I imagine that I was not the only person there who expected to see some level of Thaw in Tom Chambers’ interpretation of the inspector. However, both Chambers (Morse) and Tachia Newall (Lewis) do not mimic the two actors who are synonymous with the roles, and whilst I think that is probably a sensible choice, I did feel I was missing something in Chambers’ portrayal of Morse. There is a softness and a sentimentality to his character that means that Morse’s outbursts of frustration just do not hit quite the same beats as John Thaw was able to, though I felt he grew into the part through the show. That said, I did enjoy Newall’s portrayal of Lewis, playing the Sergeant as enthusiastic and even playful at times. 

The cast are undeniably gifted and the play moves along at a reasonable pace, though I did find some choices jarring at times. Certain roles are played with such dramatic intensity that at times it feels almost bordering on caricature, which contrasts rather harshly with the performances of the other cast members, particularly Jason Done as director Lawrence. Done is excellent in his dual role as Lawrence and Monsignor Paul Kincaid. As Lawrence, he is certainly every part the dramatic director but in a way that, other than the satin shirt and leather trousers (which were a bit much), feels believable without being over the top. 

The story itself is a typical whodunnit, with all of the clues and hints that make you think you’ve worked it out, only to quickly find out that your number one suspect is completely innocent. I am quite proud that I had my suspicions about the actual murderer before the interval, but I must confess that the play kept me guessing right until the bitter end, which is surely the mark of a decent detective story. 

House of Ghosts allows for a fresh take on Morse, bringing a beloved character out of the television and onto the stage. If you are expecting to see a carbon copy of John Thaw on stage, then you will leave disappointed; but if you allow yourself to look at it with fresh eyes and to enjoy an intriguing detective story, it is an entirely pleasant way to spend an evening. 

Review: Hannah Daglish

Photos: Johan Persson

Tickets:

https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/inspector-morse/

Evenings: 7.30pm

Matinees: Wed & Thu 2pm, Sat 2.30pm

Running time: 2hrs 10mins (including interval)

Need to know:12+, contains flashing lights, haze, strong language, adult themes, and drug/alcohol use.

Audio Described and Captioned performance with pre-show touch tour: Sat 7 Feb, 2.30pm

Under 30s tickets available