Katie McGlynn has perfected her cockney accent. Susie Blake has packed her sketchbook. Jason Durr has found new nuances in his sociopathic and one-eyed character. And Max Bowden is making a beeline for a falafel wrap. The cast of the brand-new, whiplash-fast and ‘theatrically ludicrous’ Murder at Midnight are ready for Bath. But are we ready for them?
India Farnham catches up with this all-star crew and finds out exactly how they’re planning to spend their week in Bath and why these quirky, East London characters with a closet full o’ skeletons might just win us all over… Image above: Callum Balmforth and Jason Durr in Murder at Midnight | Pamela Raith Photography
Is anyone else in need of a Spring pick-me-up? Or rather a pick-me-up-twist-me-around-and-then-accuse-me-of-murder…-up?
Yeah, me too. Thankfully, Theatre Royal Bath have got us covered, because this month, as if on cue, a larger-than-life clan of glitzy British TV stars are arriving on our doorstep to dust off our cobwebs and shake off our raincoats. Welcome to the utterly absorbing, never predictable, and really rather camp world of Murder at Midnight, which will be showing at Theatre Royal Bath from 16 – 21 March.
Murder at Midnight is a comedy-thriller written by the acclaimed (and quite mysterious) British playwright Torben Betts and produced by Original Theatre. Much like Betts’ previous play, 2023’s Murder in the Dark, Murder at Midnight is also set on New Year’s Eve, but this time in the glossy Kentish home of a notorious one-eyed gangster (played by Heartbeat andCasualty’s Jason Durr) known as Jonny ‘The Cyclops’. There has, of course, been a suspicious murder, and the responsibility to work out whodunnit relies on a plucky undercover detective named Paul, played by EastEnders’ Max Bowden.
As the night draws on and midnight approaches, we meet the rest of Jonny’s quirky crew: his trigger-happy sidekick, his glamorous wife Lisa, played by Katie McGlynn (Waterloo Road, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks), his slightly loopy mum, played by Susie Blake (Victoria Wood’s As Seen On TV, Coronation Street)andher apprehensive carer who has a serious case of the heebie-jeebies. Oh, and there also happens to be a vicar, a burglar, a clown mask, a Robbie Williams bust, and a suitcase full of cash in the mix.
In other words, it’s absolutely bananas. What were the cast’s first impressions of the script?
“I thought it was bonkers – in the best way,” Katie tells me. “All of the characters are just off their rockers.”
“When I read it,” she continues, “I couldn’t wait to find out how it would be blocked. I was like ‘How is this gonna work?’. I was too intrigued not to do it.”
“Yeah, it’s one of those scripts that really jumps off the page,” Jason agrees. “I read it and thought, ‘Gosh, that’ll be a good thing to be in.’”
“I just thought it was hilarious,” Max tells me. “And yeah, I also thought it was mental!”
The perfect crime
As with all new productions, audiences will have to take a punt when heading to the theatre for Murder at Midnight; it’s a completely original story and its twist(s) are not yet public knowledge.
So, without giving anything away, how would the cast describe the play in one line?
“It’s like if Tarantino was going to write a farce,” offers Jason.
“I would say it’s Guy Ritchie on LSD,” Max notes, before continuing, “Susie, have you got a politically correct answer?”
“It’s Torben Betts at his best,” Susie suggests.
“It’s thrilling, it’s got a lot of depth, and it’ll make you laugh,” Katie tells me earnestly.
“Yep, it’ll make you laugh and cry!” Susie agrees.
Sounds like we’ll be getting our money’s worth then. What has the reception been like so far, I wonder?
“Well, the best thing I can say about our audiences so far is that nobody’s fallen asleep during the show yet!” Susie tells me.
“And I don’t think that anybody has guessed what’s going to happen at the play’s conclusion yet. So that’s another win,” adding, “Also, the play is for 14+, so it’s great for teenagers too. My oldest granddaughter was 15 when she came to see it, and she absolutely loved trying to work it out.”
“Yeah, it goes like a bullet train, our show – it’s kind of fast and furious, so it’s great to debrief with your friends afterwards, and figure the whole thing out.” Jason tells me. “People have a lot of fun with it.”
Something we do know about the production, based on the reviews, is that it has a very impressive, realistic set designed by Colin Falconer. Across multiple floors, the set is made to look like Jonny’s sprawling house: super-swish and atmospheric, with stylish lighting allowing for dark, shadowy corners. How has this unique design influenced the play?
“Well, Colin’s set, which has two staircases, allows us to have four or five different spaces to work with within the play,” Susie explains. “And sometimes there are characters in every single one. Someone will be on a phone call, someone will be in a bedroom, someone else in an office and someone else on the sofa. It’s really impressive.”
“I don’t think any of us were quite prepared for how wonderful the set is,” Max chips in.
Who’s who?
Now, this is certainly a cast of familiar faces, but, as they reassure me, many of these characters are unlike any we’ve seen this lot take on before.
“I’m very much well known for my voice,” Katie explains, “So I’m doing an Essex accent in the play. I do think audience members will be quite surprised once they’ve seen it, compared to my other roles. That’s why I love it, because I like challenging myself.”
Also hoping to surprise audiences is Max, who, despite clearly having a brilliant natural sense of humour (I can confirm), has never done a comedy before. As someone who’s best known for his quite serious role as Ben Mitchell in ‘Easties’, is change something he actively strives for in his acting career?
“Always!” he tells me definitely. “It’s a constant choice [to play different roles]. I don’t like repeating myself. I find the escape of a new character quite addictive, so I like change, and I do strive for it. It can be quite easy to get type-cast when you’ve done a soap for a long time, so I count my bloody blessings that I’ve been able to break out of that mould.”
Speaking of mould-breaking, I’m pretty sure Jason’s character Jonny, a Robbie Williams-loving gangster with a violent past, would be a departure from the norm for most actors. What’s it like to play such an unabashedly nutty character, I wonder?
“Well, it’s just a joy,” Jason enthuses. “He’s endlessly entertaining. And bonkers, like you say. What’s also been rather nice is that I’ve found more nuances to Jonny as the tour has gone on. But all of our parts are brilliant – we just bounce off each other on the stage.”
The Bonnie to Jonny’s Clyde is of course the glamorous girlfriend, Lisa, who is described as having many layers. Is this something that Katie, who plays her, can relate to?
“Oh yeah, massively. I have a lot of empathy for Lisa. She’s always dreamed of escaping, of becoming an actress. And I feel like a lot of people who are in this industry would like to escape, and that’s why we do what we do. I can very much relate to that.”
Another actor drawing on their personal experiences for their performance is Susie, whose character Shirley, Jonny’s mum, may or may not have dementia. She can’t quite remember.
“I’m at the age where I’ve known and loved people who have ended up with Alzheimer’s and dementia,” Susie explains. “And it can be extremely funny. It’s also handy because if I’m confused with what’s going on as Susie, it doesn’t really matter, because Shirley’s confused too!”
“Double confusion!” Jason interjects with a smile.
Perhaps this is also handy if Susie/Shirley ever forgets a line?
“Oh, absolutely – I’ve been helped out by every member of the cast when I’ve forgotten a line,” Susie shares graciously. “We’re very in tune now,” she continues, “We all know what needs to happen and the information that’s important. So, if I trip up over a bit of plot, there’s always someone ready to jump in.”
A family affair
Indeed, it’s clear within minutes of chatting to this all-star crew that they really have gelled. What’s it been like being together all the time?
“We all hate each other! We can’t wait for it to be over!” Max laughs. “No, I’m joking. It’s been great. Are you gonna print that?”
Erm, apologies Max. Context is a wonderful thing.
“We’re like a little family, ‘cause we’ve known each other a while now,” Katie shares. “Obviously Susie and I were both on Coronation Street, so we’ve been able to chat about that. We’ve both said we wish we could have been on the Street together.”
“But she wouldn’t have spoken to me, I’m an old bird!” Susie Blake chimes in, giggling. “But yeah, the Corrie lot are very, very talented. I was always amazed by the talent in that crew. So it’s lovely to be working with Katie now.”
“Should we leave you two to it?” Max offers, smiling. Clearly the cast’s new-found family status extends to their banter.
Next stop: Theatre Royal
Now, the all-important question: what are the cast looking forward to getting up to in Bath?
“Bath is one of my favourite cities, so I’m really looking forward to being back,” Max tells me, earning immediate brownie points.
“I was there last year,” he continues, “and there’s a place called Chai Walla on Monmouth Street which does the best falafel wrap, like, in the world. And they are the loveliest, the guys who run it. So I’ll be heading straight there!”
Susie is taking a more artistic approach.
“Peter Moreton [who plays Trainwreck, Jonny’s sidekick] and I love going somewhere to sketch. We’re looking forward to visiting Bath because we won’t have to go very far to find something to recreate in our sketchbooks, what with all the amazing little corners and the Georgian fronts and the bow fronts and goodness knows what else. It’s a beautiful city, isn’t it?”
Yep, that it is. Bath: home of falafel wraps, Georgian architecture, and now, a healthy dose of midnight mischief…
Catch Murder at Midnight at Theatre Royal Bath from 16 – 21 March. Tickets are available to book via theatreroyal.org.uk