The Talented Mr Ripley – A Clever, Chilling Stage Adaptation
Tom Ripley is a nobody – scraping by in New York, forging signatures, telling little lies – until a chance encounter changes everything. When a wealthy stranger offers him an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy to bring home his wayward son, Dickie Greenleaf, Tom leaps at the opportunity. What follows is Patricia Highsmith’s psychological thriller, reimagined for the stage in this new adaptation, with Ed McVey (The Crown) as Tom, Bruce Herbelin-Earle (Free Rein) as Dickie, and Maisie Smith (EastEnders, Strictly Come Dancing finalist) as Marge Sherwood.
My first impression was the clever use of the set. At a glance it was incredibly simple – a raised square platform with a cut-out in the middle – but it was transformed throughout into a bar, a car, a pier, or an apartment, with ensemble members crawling under it, emerging from the central hole, and climbing across it to create an amazing sense of movement for such a large static piece. Accessories were (mostly) smoothly brought on for quick shifts in location, giving the whole show a really good pace.
The production wasn’t without its technical issues though. Microphones sometimes failed to catch the actors’ first lines, and the soundtrack was so quiet that more than once the audience glanced around, unsure if a phone was ringing in someone’s bag. A stronger sound design could have heightened the tension in key moments, of which there were plenty.
Ed McVey gave a standout performance as Tom Ripley, balancing the character’s disarming charm with his darker, obsessive undercurrents. One motif that particularly intrigued me was the way ensemble members would occasionally emerge from under the set to embody Tom’s conscience or his spiralling anxiety. At first this appeared regularly, even breaking the fourth wall to interrupt scenes and shouting “cut” on a film set, allowing Tom to explore different choices before settling on the one that would keep him safe. It was a clever and humorous device in otherwise tense moments. Oddly, this motif faded partway through the first act and only returned in flashes in the second – perhaps to suggest that in Italy, immersed in Dickie and Marge’s world, Tom found a temporary peace from his demons.
Where the production fell short for me was in evoking the rich atmosphere of its setting. Audiences familiar with the 1999 film will remember the sumptuous sweep of Italian coastlines and marble villas. Here, the black stage and stark cage of lighting bars around the set felt a little underwhelming, and I found myself wishing for more visual grandeur. That said, others may find the stripped-back staging refreshing, keeping the focus firmly on character and psychology rather than scenery.
For those who have not read Highsmith’s novel or seen the film, it is worth noting Saltburn has been likened to The Talented Mr Ripley, which gripped audiences in 2023 – though this stage version is far less stomach-churning.
Overall, this is a sharp and inventive production of a classic story, anchored by an exceptional lead performance and a clever, adaptable set design. Despite sound issues and a lack of visuals, it is a gripping and stylish retelling that kept the audience leaning forward or at times clutching their pearls!
The show is heading for the West End soon so it’s definitely one to watch out for!