Midsomer Murders: The Killings at Badger’s Drift

Bringing a beloved television series to the stage is never a straightforward task, particularly one as iconic and long-running as Midsomer Murders. Yet Midsomer Murders: The Killings at Badger's Drift arrives in its world premiere stage production with a confidence and charm that suggests it was always destined for the theatre. Fans of the original series will be delighted to see Daniel Casey back in Midsomer, though in a rather different capacity. Having originally played Sergeant Troy for the first six series of the television programme, Casey returns here in the rather more senior role of DCI Tom Barnaby, with the mantle of Troy passed to James Bradwell. The two form a brilliant double act, pairing a straight-shooting inspector with a slightly more whimsical sergeant in a dynamic that provides both the engine of the plot and much of its humour.

That double act frequently became a trio thanks to Julie Legrand, whose turn as Lucy Bellringer was one of the standout performances of the night, a scene-stealing delight every time she appeared, whether grounding the show's humanity or bringing humour of her own. It was just one of many roles Legrand took on throughout the evening, with the entire cast beyond our two leads playing multiple characters throughout. It is a genuinely impressive feat that such a small ensemble could bring an entire village to life so convincingly, each performer shifting between roles with a clarity and commitment that kept the storytelling sharp and the world of Badger's Drift feeling fully inhabited. On so many occasions, it felt as though entirely different people had taken to the stage, and on the few occasions where that illusion was deliberately broken, it produced some of the night's most hilarious moments.

Humour really runs through the heart of this production, amplified by the cast's wonderful chemistry. It has everything you could want, dry wit, perfectly timed innuendos, sharp one-liners and some marvellously silly stage exits that had the audience in fits. Yet it never comes at the expense of the story. Amongst all of that laughter sits a genuinely gripping whodunnit that kept you questioning everybody right until the end. Without venturing into spoiler territory, the story does an excellent job of distributing suspicion evenly across its characters, ensuring that no obvious culprit emerges too early and that every revelation feels earned. It is the kind of mystery that rewards your attention whilst still being accessible and easy to follow, which is no small achievement.