York Theatre Royal was packed for the first night of this murder mystery play, A Game Called Malice, written by Ian Rankin and Simon Reade.

By Angie Millard

Feature photo by Jonathan Phang

Rebus ranks alongside fictional detectives like Dexter’s Morse and Christie’s Poirot. He has his own personal schtick: an appealing mixture of street wisdom and intellectual nouse with a tendency to drink too much whisky.

But above all else he is memorable.

In this play we see a slightly more civilised character. He is attending a dinner party with Stephanie, played by Abigail Thaw. She is a shrewd advocate in Edinburgh and, just to add a little more spice, she has some history with Rebus. Their hosts are Paul and Harriet Goodwin; he a wealthy investor, she a bored wife who is trying her hand at detective fiction. The party is completed by Jack Fleming, a casino owner, and his attractive girlfriend Candida Jones, an ‘influencer’ with a skill in using the internet and physical charms to match her ability. The hostess has devised a murder plot to entertain her guests which soon morphs into reality when a dead body is discovered in an en-suite bathroom upstairs.

The set is an elegant, rather cluttered dining room in a Georgian town house; the walls are hung with many paintings which make the room seem claustrophobic. Much wine and after dinner drinks are consumed, then guess what? The body is discovered. It is a classic plot of carefully revealed evidence and red herrings but, although it is a short evening  (1 hour 40 mins with interval) and the acting and writing is crisp and concise, the actors are unable to maintain any real tension. The piece lacks drama.

Gray O’Brien’s Rebus is idiosyncratic with just enough grit to be believable. His use of audience asides is an interesting dramatic technique. Abigail Thaw is an excellent foil to his character.

Theresa Banham as Harriet and Neil Mckinven as her devious husband are forced to play stereotypes, as is Billy Hartman as Jack Fleming. Only Jade Kennedy’s Candida provides some fun and wit as she helps Rebus by using her smartphone to research the history of past events.

I was forced to conclude that, while Ian Rankin is a good detective novelist, his talent does not lie in the theatre. Loveday Ingram, as director, was not able to enliven the plot and I felt disappointed. The talking and expositions were clever, but it felt like it may have worked better as a radio play.

A Game Called Malice is being performed at York Theatre Royal until Saturday 19 October 2024.

Designer – Terry Parsons

Lighting – Matthew Eagland

Sound – Garth McConaghie

Costume – Barbara Brady