A Conversation with Inspector Morse

What can people expect when they come to see the play?

It’s a delicious treat for anyone who is a fan of the Inspector Morse stories and TV show, like I was and indeed have been throughout the decades. It’s such a fantastic, reliable brand, and this piece of writing by Alma Cullen is fascinating. She was one of the original four writers from the very first series when it came out in 1987 [the others included Anthony Minghella and Danny Boyle], but this is an original play that only had a small tour in 2010 and was broadcast on the radio a few years later. So, for most people it will be a brand-new story that they’ve never seen before. That’s really exciting for them and also for us.

How would you describe Morse as he’s portrayed in the story?

Given that Alma was one of the original writers, he’s very much the Inspector Morse that we know and love. It’s the classic, iconic character, and the play is so well-written, so fluent and fluid. The only difference, I guess, is the fact that there’s a nostalgic element to it because – without giving too much away – it’s about catching up with Morse’s past from 25 years ago, revolving around unrequited love from someone he was at Oxford University with. That’s the backstory and at times perhaps we’re seeing him when he’s at his most vulnerable. We’re seeing the domestic or the personal side of Morse as well as the professional one. It’s about a play within a play, where a murder happens and Morse runs into his love interest from all those years ago.

Can you relate to him in any way?

I’m not necessarily someone who’s really modern and really cool, not to put myself down, and I think Morse is like that too. He’s not necessarily chivalrous, because he can be quite hard at times; he can harsh, very black-and-white and very honest. He says it how it is, but he does have a sort of gentlemanly manner about him. I like playing that and exploring it.

Is it daunting taking on such an iconic character?

It is daunting, yes, but it’s a thrilling challenge. The thrill for me is in the dialogue and the writing, the camaraderie between Morse and Lewis and their relationship – where you have that classic thing of him putting Lewis down but with a sense of irony or jest and sometimes despair. So it’s great fun but daunting too, because you know that an audience is going to want to see something in the style of what they’ve seen before. They don’t want to see something that’s completely, shockingly unexpected, although there’s a different kind of energy to the setting because we’re back in 1987 where there are no mobile phones and it’s all analogue. I love that idea.

How is it being reunited with director Anthony Banks, after you did Dial M for Murder together?

It’s great. We’re both really excited about the fact that the audience is going to see something that the vast majority of them won’t have seen before. It’s an amazing opportunity and I’m a big fan of the TV show. This character is so legendary and is such an iconic part of the nation’s stable TV diet.

Why do you think thrillers and murder mysteries are so popular, especially on stage?

We are curious creatures, aren’t we? We like a puzzle, we like a challenge and the stimulation that goes with it. Maybe I’m getting a bit deep, but we are born with that thing of ‘fight or flight’, so somewhere in our ancestral roots we are fascinated by it. There’s also the aspect of ‘How did they do it?’, ‘Why did they do it?’ and ‘How did they get away with it?’ if indeed they did. We will never tire of thrillers and murder mysteries because they’re sort of in our DNA. And in the theatre, of course, everyone is in the same space, in the dark, watching the mystery unfold on stage. You share the same reaction that other people are having around you. You look to your left or to your right and you see that the person next to you is smiling, gasping or rolling their eyes the same as you. It’s very inclusive and it makes you realise that we share many of the same feelings, fears, desires and all of those things.

You came to fame on Holby City but was working in theatre always part of the plan?

Actually, I started in theatre. I was in the National Youth Music Theatre and went to Edinburgh and all of the festivals. We did that in the holidays, to keep us out of mischief. After that I went to drama school [in Guildford] and did a lot of theatre there, but I always wanted to work in television so when I got onto Holby City that was fantastic and my big lucky break.

You had huge success on stage with Top Hat but are you leaning more towards plays than musicals now?

Doing Top Hat was a dream come true, then I got to do a tour of Crazy for You, which is a Gershwin classic. I absolutely loved that and in the last couple of years I did Elf at the Dominion in the West End, playing the dad, where I only got to dance a bit towards the end. But in terms of plays or musicals, I’m honestly just very grateful to be working. There are so many talented people in this industry that it’s just a pleasure to be able to work with content that you connect with. [Laughs]. I’m not too fussed about what it is as long as I’m able to keep working.

Speaking of Morse and the other crime-solvers you’ve played, do you think you’d make a good sleuth in real life?

Well, I do love observation and I’m probably quite finicky about where things are, how things are done and how they are put together, but I don’t think I’ve got that kind of intelligence. Instead I enjoy playing the intelligence that’s been written into these characters.

Do you have any pre-show rituals when you’re on tour?

I always take along a soundbar so I can listen to some music and get into the feeling of ‘Right, now I’ve left the day job of being a husband and a father with three children’. It’s all about getting to the theatre and transforming from that into the character you’re playing, and music really helps me with that. Playing Morse, I’m most likely to be listening to some Schubert. I also take along a diffuser with lemongrass, because you never know with dressing rooms around the country. [Laughs] Let’s just say that front of house can sometimes be a lot nicer than backstage! Then I just need a toothbrush and the script, and I’m good to go.

Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts plays at Lyceum Theatre Tue 28 Oct – Sat 1 Nov. Tickets are available here.