The Silence of the Lambs Thrills Audiences at Newcastle Theatre Royal
The Silence of the Lambs has made its world stage-play premiere
I’ll be honest, I haven’t read the book – but I have seen the 1991 Oscar-winning film many, many times and as we enter the theatre on an aptly grey and drizzly (August!) evening, my anticipation is twofold – will the stage adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs live up to our high expectations, and will we be watching through our fingers?
FBI rookie Clarice Starling is sent to interview incarcerated serial killer Dr Hannibal Lecter to help search for another mass murderer in this psychological horror/thriller, so the jump-scares are inevitable, but it’s not an easy plot to put on stage. Success is achieved through a brilliantly designed set and very clever use of lighting.
The scene is set immediately as we see why Clarice is chosen for the job. Northern Corrie star Mollie Gallagher takes on the role with power and struts around the stage with purpose. The entirety of the stage is used throughout the production, and when Clarice first walks past the cells (a brilliantly directed scene which mirrors the film), we realise fans of the extremely quotable film won’t be disappointed. The play has made sure to hold onto the key lines that are so well known – ‘quid pro quo’, ‘have the lambs stopped screaming yet?’ and the C-word. A decision has been made, however, to avoid focusing on Buffalo Bill’s gender dysphoria and rather explain his backstory with a focus on an obsession with his birth mother, a pageant queen who lost a contest because of her C-section scar.
The set is impressive. Lecter’s glass cell is moved on and off the stage seamlessly whilst the back of it has a ladder which Buffalo Bill climbs at various times. Stairs lead to a mezzanine and stark lighting avoids clunky scene changes. I particularly enjoy the eerie projections as Buffalo Bill watches his mother’s pageant video on repeat.
With film fans satisfied, we’re pleased northern actor John Partridge (perhaps best known for playing Christian Clarke in EastEnders) makes Hannibal Lecter his own. He brings all the intensity and creepiness you’d expect without directly copying Anthony Hopkins’s iconic character in the film and its sequel. With more of a focus on Buffalo Bill’s backstory, he’s in the spotlight (quite literally in some cases). Yorkshire’s own Sam Jackson is unnerving as he shows a vulnerable side to the killer.
More disturbing than frightening, but certainly a thrilling watch, in the days where audiences ask ‘do we really need a play for this?’, we think so.
