Name: Review: Not Dead Enough at the New Victoria
Item: New Victoria Theatre
Author: Dermot Hoare

4 STARS. Dermot Hoare enjoys the world premiere tour of Not Dead Enough, a stage adaptation of Peter James' gritty murder mystery novel. Showing at Woking's New Victoria Theatre Feb 6-11

Photo by Mark Douet

Not Dead Enough, the third of Peter James’ murder mysteries to be adapted for the stage is currently on tour at the New Victoria. It is a play of two halves set in Brighton, the first half virtually centres on the interrogation by DS Roy Grace, a polished performance by Shane Richie, of one Brian Bishop whose wife has been found brutally murdered. However, since Bishop claims he was asleep sixty miles away it requires Grace and his sergeant, Glenn Branson, to bring all their skill to the task of breaking Bishop’s alibi.

But there are problems in doing so for Grace. As he faces the seemingly sinister widower, Brian, he has his own personal demons to contend with as he hunts for his missing wife. Stephen Billington’s performance as Brian Bishop conjures a mysterious and untrustworthy figure yet we can feel his frustration as he maintains his innocence. It is delivered with a nervousness that allows suspicion to creep in on behalf of the investigators and the audience.

In the second half, there are further murders and one instinctively knows that Bishop is off the hook and Grace must look elsewhere.

Photo by Mark Douet

Michal Holt’s cleverly designed set enables us simultaneously to see the mortuary, the police station and an interview room wherever the action is taking place. Indeed, Ian Talbot’s production focuses us more on the process of investigation than the crimes themselves, gruesome though they may be.

In her professional theatrical debut Laura Whitmore swaps BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing for pathology as Cleo, the pathologist, who is also Grace’s new lover. It’s an interesting switch for Whitmore as she creates a Cleo that struggles to see past Grace’s longing for his estranged wife. There are several moments where she experiences sudden emotional outbursts.

There are strong supporting roles from Michael Quartey as Branson and Gemma Atkins as Sophie. The latter creates a powerful role as Whitmore’s pathologist assistant with some of the character’s scenes involving strong violence and sexual violence being delivered by Atkins to harrowing effect.