The Silence of the Lambs

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Until Saturday 22 August 2026

The Thomas Harris thriller that made the the character Dr Hannibal Lecter, aka Hannibal the cannibal, a household name has been adapted as a stage play and is in Tyneside on its first ever tour.

The 1988 book, The Silence of the Lambs, was a sequel to 1981's Red Dragon, though this time Dr Hannibal Lecter is asked to support trainee FBI agent Clarice Starling on the case Buffalo Bill. She is top of her class and her boss, Jack Crawford (Oliver Farnworth), thinks that she will be able to win Lecter over and help them catch a mass murderer who leaves the victims with some of their skin missing.

To that end, this may by considered a horror tale - which is a format that is not always successful on stage - or a crime thriller, which is a well worn and popular path for theatre to explore. This show finds a happy bridge between the two themes as it unpacks the mystery whilst discussing some pretty disturbing content. The horror elements tend to lie in the wonderful sound design and what you don't see, and to that end it feels more like a Hitchcock production.

It is worth pointing out, as the interview with the writer Gina Gionfriddo in the programme notes, that this show is an adaptation of the book - not of the hugely successful 1991 5 times Oscar winning movie. The story centres on Agent Starling, brought to life by Mollie Gallagher - who is making her stage debut on this tour. Gallagher makes the role her own in the tone of her portrayal and makes one quickly forget about the movie. This is important, as Starling is a strong character that is finding her way in a male dominated field, and Gallagher is able to command her space on the stage. Such a transition from soap opera to stage is not guaranteed, yet clearly she loves the immediate audience reactions.

The other huge character is of course Lecter himself. A psychologist with an appetite for humans and fine wine. This is another role that needs a strong delivery as he goes into his minds games and despite spending much of his stage time stuck in a glass cell, John Partridge still manages to deliver commanding power - even when in restraints.

A third character is looming in this show - "Buffalo Bill" often operating on another level in this split level stage. He quietly goes about his business too whilst offering the audience a disturbing reminder of why Starling needs to get answers out of Lecter quickly. Sam Jackson gives his character a presence that is creepy and somewhat terrifying without any hint of face or comedy that stage horror can slip into.

The show is set in the 1980s. There has been no attempt to try to update this. So Starling has the manually collect the inked finger prints off the unidentified body, whilst wearing a suit jacket complete with shoulder pads, before being amazed that the dabs can be sent far an wild using a fax machine (even though the fax was invited before the telephone). Likewise - the phone is firmly attached to the wall and contacting people in the field is a challenge. Life without computers makes quick searches of data very labour intensive and time consuming. Likewise the occasional pop song that we hear is from that era too. In short, a world that may be strange to anyone under 50.

Michael Taylors set design is really clever as it splits the stage up so that the scenes can flow quickly without the audience being confused. Like the movie, it is possible to have the action in 2 different locations in order to create the necessary tension - especially as the show hits the climax. the glass walled cell is rotated so we all get to see Hannibal as he paces around, commanding the conversation. Add in the subtleties of Howard Hudson's lighting design to contrast the harsh lighting within the cell with the darker areas surrounding it and the play is doing as well as the award winning film in getting the story across. When you add in Carolyn Downing's sound design which alters what we hear to reflect the type of room that a character is talking in or the device that the music is playing on and you have a sense that this is theatre production that stands out from many other productions.

The show features an ensemble of actors that fill in many roles (with a nod to whoever is in charge if wigs backstage) and we have a great production. It is a thriller that has a flow that is often lacking in some crime adaptations. Director Nikolai Foster delivers a story that is engaging and remains faithful to its source. The pressure is maintained so you feel uneasy but at no point do you think "but I don't think they'd do that." Characters are developed though the exposition is never overloaded. The advantages of the format of theatre are exploited - such of Lecter's final phone call to Starling at the end of the show. By creating a theatre production rather than trying to mimic the film the team have developed an experience that draws the audience in.

The Silence of the Lambs is intense. I loved it. Seriously, I bloody loved it. The best thing I've seen on a big stage in quite some time.

Review: Stephen Oliver

Photos: Marc Brenner

Tickets:

The Silence of the Lambs plays Newcastle Theatre Royal Tuesday 18 – Saturday 22 August 2026. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.

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