Rebus: A Game Called Malice
★★★☆☆ Satisfying
Festival Theatre: Tue 10 – Sat 14 Sept 2024
Review by Hugh Simpson
Rebus: A Game Called Malice at the Festival Theatre as part of a UK tour, is a cleverly constructed – if distinctly old-fashioned – piece of theatre.
This is not the first time Ian Rankin has brought his most popular character, the Edinburgh detective John Rebus, to the stage. A collaboration with Simon Reade, the new play (a touring production presented by Daniel Schulman and Lee Dean in association with Cambridge Arts Theatre) is coherent and very well performed, if lacking in real thrills.
Gray O’Brien as Rebus. Pic: Nobby Clark
Rebus, now retired, is at a dinner party hosted by New Town residents Harriet and Paul Godwin. Harriet has devised a murder mystery game for her guests, who also include casino boss Jack Fleming, his social media influencer partner Candida Jones, and Stephanie Jefferies, the lawyer who has brought Rebus along as her ‘plus one’. It is not much of a spoiler to say that the game is (eventually) overtaken by the discovery of a body.
Rankin often takes his titles from songs, and this one clearly references the Jam’s A Town Called Malice. That title, however, was clearly inspired by Nevil Shute’s A Town Like Alice, which makes this play’s name a pun-once-removed.
awkwardness
Some of that awkwardness carries over into the play’s construction. The one-room Heriot Row setting clearly evokes the country-house milieu of whodunnits past. Despite references to Edinburgh’s dual nature and sleazy underbelly (including the obligatory mention of Jekyll and Hyde), it all comes across as very Agatha Christie-ish, and with definite hints of An Inspector Calls. This is reinforced rather than undermined by the frequent use of Google whenever the plot needs moving along.
Neil McKinven (Paul Godwin), Jade Kennedy (Candida Jones), Gray O’Brien (Rebus), Abigail Thaw (Stephanie Jeffries) and Teresa Banham (Harriet). Pic: Nobby Clark
There are far too many occasions in the first half when characters conveniently tell others their backstories, and it ends with a coda that is so unnecessary as to seem parodic. In between, however, the story fairly bowls along, with the confined setting used cleverly and economically. Getting characters on and off stage (something far more difficult than is often imagined) is done with aplomb, and Loveday Ingram’s direction gives it all the required pace.
Terry Parsons’s set, with its collection of Scottish colourists, is a Georgian triumph. Matthew England’s lighting and Garth McConaghie’s sound enhance the atmosphere considerably.
convincing narrative
The play certainly doesn’t outstay its welcome; without the interval, this clocks in at under 90 minutes. Under different circumstances this could easily have become an example of the recent trend for straight-through dramas. Certainly the placing of the interval is one of the least secure moments in a largely convincing narrative.
The recent TV appearance of a younger Rebus means that a comparatively more dashing version of the character has been established. Despite being retired, this version seems much younger and fresher than the more crumpled iteration that we have grown used to. Suffice it to say that if you want a version of the detective who is light on his feet, puckish and almost agreeable, Gray O’Brien is the man to do it. He positively relishes the investigation, which he conducts with a definite twinkle.
Billy Hartman (Jack Fleming) and Jade Kennedy (Candida Jones). Pic: Nobby Clark
The rest of the cast are equally accomplished. There is a dry, exact nature to Abigail Thaw’s Stephanie that is extremely impressive. Billy Hartman, an Emmerdale stalwart for many years, is suitably hail-fellow-well-met as the businessman who may or may not be on the right side of the law.
Neil McKinven, who took over as Rebus in such dramatic circumstances the last time the detective came to the Edinburgh stage, is Paul Godwin, with Teresa Banham as Harriet. Both are tremendous at showing the complexity of their characters.
done with conviction
It isn’t giving very much away to say that many of the people on stage have secrets they would rather keep hidden. This does all become a little formulaic; it is clear from the start, for example, that the ‘influencer’ Candida (played with energy and subtlety by Jade Kennedy) is going to be much sharper and better-informed than some people might expect. While this really just exchanges one stereotype for another, it is done with conviction, and everything hangs together neatly as a result.
Too often the plot relies on Rebus remembering something from the past (or getting Candida to find it on her phone) rather than him actually working things out, which is one of the things that stops it from convincing completely. However, the production has a momentum and charm that means that few who watch it will feel short-changed.
Running time: One hour 50 minutes (including one interval).
Festival Theatre, 13/29 Nicolson St, EH8 9FT
Tuesday 10 – Saturday 14 September 2024
Daily at 7.30 pm; Matinees Thu, Sat 2.30 pm
Details and tickets: Book here.
Rebus: A Game Called Malice on tour:
Aberdeen, His Majesty’s Theatre: 16 – 21 September Book here
Glasgow, Pavilion Theatre: 23 – 27 September Book here
Bath, Theatre Royal: 30 September – 5 October Book here
Cardiff, New Theatre: 7 – 12 October Book here
York, Theatre Royal: 15 – 19 October Book here
Malvern, Festival Theatre: 21 – 26 October Book here
Oxford, Playhouse: 29 October – 2 November Book here
Cheltenham, Everyman Theatre: 5 – 9 November Book here
Guildford, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre: 19 – 23 November Book here
Poole, Lighthouse: 26 – 30 November Book here
The cast of Rebus: A Game Called Malice. Pic: Nobby Clark.
ENDS
I think 3 stars is very generous. Saw it at Festival Edinburgh last night. That portion of the dialogue that the actors deigned to project or remember was predictable and poorly constructed. Even devoted Rebus fans will find little to enthuse about. Your crit was accurate and appropriately less enthusiastic than the 3 star rating given. This was a poor performance in acting, writing and directorial terms.
Lack of audibility, clumsy dialogue and absent direction all contributed. The actors rotating about the set to allow the principal speaker at the time to have the centre seat at the dining table made everything too predictable – more of a country dance than planned and purposeful blocking. Sadly it ranks in my bottom five worst shows ever including amateur shows.