Moody Rebus needs a wee bit more grit
Rebus: Long Shadows (Birmingham Rep & touring)
Verdict: A bit too shadowy, I fear ★★✩✩✩
TEN years ago, ITV’S rebus was an edinburgh rival to Morse.
Just as the Oxford setting is vital to Morse’s appeal, smouldering shots of the Scottish capital featured heavily in the rebus stories.
the other vital ingredient in the TV version of these ian rankin stories was that they mostly starred Ken Stott as the philosophical, drink- seasoned detective. Mr Stott has one of the greatest, gruffest voices in current British acting. A decade ago he also had a certain raffish allure.
A new stage adaptation of rebus, co-written by Mr rankin and rona Munro, is up against two problems: no camera footage of edinburgh and no Ken Stott.
the title role is played instead by Charles Lawson. He does pretty well, but the voice is a bit wheedly. You do not feel this is a man who has smoked and boozed to forget the terrible things a policeman sees. rebus is in retirement, frustrated, shorn of much purpose but off the whisky. A chance encounter with a troubled young woman revives memories of a long- shelved murder investigation. Private citizen rebus takes it upon himself to reopen the case.
Robin Lefevre’s production is dark in both senses: in its ghostly matter and in the lighting department.
A large flight of steps dominates the back of the often dark stage. interior scenes are played up front with a few chairs, filing cabinets and whisky tumblers.
With my cloth ears i often find it hard to hear actors at the cavernous Birmingham rep.
I’m afraid i also found some of the Scots accents elusive, though not from John Stahl, who hurls himself, almost too flamboyantly, into the part of gangster ‘Big Ger’ Cafferty.
Rebus’s old sleuthing partner Det Sgt Clarke is played by Cathy tyson. She certainly makes a more convincing copper than was seen in the telly series.
The plot is standard fare, if limited by the small cast. But most of all it is the cinematic effects, and Ken Stott’s delicious rasp, that you miss.