Review: Murder in the Dark at The Lowry Theatre in Salford*

[Ad-gifted] Last night I went to watch the mysterious Murder in the Dark at The Lowry Theatre in Salford Quays. This was an unusual production by the Original Theatre, being that the plot has been hidden from its audience to encourage the suspense of the evening, and based on that fact, I’m unable to divulge any of the plot to you either. We’ve been asked to spread the word but not the spoilers, so keep that in mind when reading to find out how it went and what we thought of the performance overall.

All I can say is, you’re in for a corker! This is a thrilling and strangely funny performance that has you jumped out of your seat with terror, laughing and made to feel cringy creeper. I think this dark comedy horror has been perfectly balanced by the extremely talented writer Torben Betts. Betts is an established playwright whose plays have been performed around the world and in a variety of languages. 

Murder in the Dark was performed by some stellar actors, some of which you’ll recognise from various TV performances – Susie Blake most noticeably from the Mrs Brown’s Boys played Mrs Bateman, was one of the leads of the night. The main character of Danny was played by Tom Chambers who you might have spotted on Father Brown as the inspector.

Other characters included Danny’s ex Rebecca played by Rebecca Charles, Jonny Green played Jake Danny’s son – who for me was a shinning star in the night. I felt he was such a well thought out character and was perfectly executed by Green. Laura White played Sarah Danny’s girlfriend, Owen Oakenshott as Will Danny’s brother and all the cast were accompanied by two understudies, Sasha Brookes and Cameron Falconar. 

Finally, the set was simple and was just one room that occasionally transformed into an outside ally. But it had been made in a way that worked so well to be eerie when dimly lit and surprisingly inoffensive when brighter lighting was used. Again, I can’t say too much as I feel it would be giving too much away. 

Cast

Susie Blake – Mrs Bateman
Tom Chambers – Danny
Rebecca Charles – Rebecca
Jonny Green – Jake
Laura White – Sarah
Sasha Brookes – Understudy
Cameron Falconar – Understudy

Creatives

Torben Betts – Playwrighter
Philip Franks – Director
Simon Kenny – Designer
Paul Pyant – Lighting Designer
Johnny Edwards – Sound Associate

How much are the tickets?

Tickets are priced from £25 to £40.

To book tickets please call The Lowry at 08432086000 or via their website here.  Age recommendation 14+.  To book accessible performances, please email access@thelowry.com or call 0161 876 2183.

How long is the show for and what are the timings?

The show will be running until Sat, 27 January 2024 with performances at 7.30pm while the matinee will be at 2pm on Wed and Sat. It will have a running time of 1 hour and 50 minutes including interval.

Accessible Performances

BSL Interpreted by Emma Jane Mansfield | Thursday 25 January 2024, 7.30pm
Audio Described by Caroline Burn | Friday 26 January 2024, 7.30pm. Touch Tour at 6pm.

Where will the performance be held?

The Lowry
The Lyric Theatre
Pier 8
The Quays
Salford
M50 3AZ
Manchester
Tel: 0843208 6000

• The Lowry welcomes all visitors regardless of their disability and strives to meet all individuals needs where possible.
• They welcome assistance dogs.
• The Lowry website is fully accessible and features BrowseAloud.  Browsealoud adds speech, reading and translation support, facilitating access and participation for those people who need support reading print, dyslexia, low literacy, mild visual impairments and those with English as a second language. To use this feature, simply click on the grey ear logo located in the footer.
• If you are driving to the show, we would recommend for you to park at The Lowry Outlet which is opposite the theatre, but be aware as there is lack of signage from the car park area to the theatre, so best to ask someone or use google maps to find your way.

  Pre paid car parking tickets can be purchased up to 24 hours prior to your performance. Please note they are unable to sell pre paid tickets on your performance date, and you will need to pay at the ticket machines in the car park. The tickets can be booked at the same time as your seats via their website, or over the phone on freephone 0343 208 6000.

About The Lowry Theatre

The Lowry is a registered charity committed to using visual and performing arts to enrich people’s lives. They present audiences with a diverse programme of theatre, opera, musicals, dance, music, comedy and visual art as well as events and activities to expand the horizons of audiences and artists alike.  At the heart of their work is a commitment to the local communities and young people. Tapping into the work on their stages and in their galleries, they offer thousands of free creative participation opportunities each year. They are passionate about nurturing talent, developing creative professionals of the future and raising aspirations.

Review by : Lex Ward

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Photo Credit: The Lowry Theatre