York Theatre Royal – until Saturday 19th October 2024
Reviewed by Michelle Richardson
4****
Rebus: A Game Called Malice is a play involving Ian Rankin’s much loved Scottish detective, John Rebus. He is one of the most enduring characters in crime fiction, with the 25th book Rebus book just being released, with many being adapted for television, and now the stage. This stage adaption has been written by Rankin and Simon Reade.
Set in just one room, an opulent dining room, full of valuable art and books, in a mansion on an affluent street in Edinburgh, a dinner party is in full swing. The guests are partaking in a murder mystery game, devised by the hostess of the evening Harriet (Teresa Banham)., and her partner Paul (Neil McKinven). There are four guests, casino boss Jack (Billy Hartman) with the much younger, social media savvy Candida (Jade Kennedy), and finally lawyer Stephanie (Abigail Thaw), who has invited recently retired Detective Inspector Rebus (Gray O’Brien) along to the party. On the face of it, it seems a peculiar choice of dinner guests, with a strange dynamic. What would they have in common?
Though Rebus is decked out in a suit and tie, he looks scruffy and out of place amongst the others. He is that quiet one, observing at the back, whilst sipping his glass of whisky. The others are more animated in their conversations. There are comings and goings, checking up on the chef, who is nowhere to be found and has left a mess in the kitchen, topping up of liquid refreshments, to popping outside for cigarette breaks. Then a real dead body is found. Many questions are asked, who is deceased, how did he get there, what was Jack doing in the upstairs on-suite, and of course who murdered him? Of course, nothing is quite as it seems, with twist and turns, secrets and lies, a perfect recipe for any whodunnit.
Harriet appears vulnerable, but has set this dinner party up, with the murder mystery game suspiciously mirroring real events. Paul becomes more and more unhinged as jealousy of her previous husband and his secrets are revealed. Jack is a bit shady, somewhat lacking morals and secrets of his own. Why is Candida with Jack? It is certainly not what you may think. And finally, why did Stephanie invite Rebus to the party.
O’Brien’s Rebus is not as gritty as you might expect, but he is still full of charisma and is engaging to watch. It was the subtle things that drew me into his character, the way he stood, heels together, toes apart, in a v shape, the simple nuances.
It was great to see that the theatre was well attended and proves how popular Rebus is. With a running time of only an hour and 45 minutes, with interval, this is quite a short show, but I found it kept me engaged for the whole time and it was just the right length. It held the attention of the entire audience and maybe not as gritty as one might expect, a perfectly enjoyable whodunnit.