The Silence of the Lambs

The arch of an eyebrow and slight twitch of the mouth and the man who terrorised cinemas in the 1990s was back in full horror and on stage.

Actor John Partridge is best known for his role as amiable Christian Clarke in Eastenders. But on stage at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow, his darker side shines out.

Partridge is simply superb as serial killer Dr Hannibal Lecter in Gina Gionfriddo’s adaptation of Thomas Harris’s 1988 horror novel, The Silence of the Lambs.

It’s spine chilling from the start with a fantastic modern stage and costumes from Michael Taylor, all reds and blacks to signal danger and taking the audience to 1983 and the FBI Academy, Quantico, Virginia, a Baltimore hospital, Ohio, Potter and West Virginia, Memphis.

Partridge is joined by an equally impressive Mollie Gallagher as young FBI agent, Clarice Starling, given the unenviable task of finding Jame Gumb, aka Buffalo Bill (Sam Jackson), a complex man on the rampage, abducting young “plump” women, keeping them hostage and then using their skin to make a fur coat which reminded him of the one his glamorous mother used to wear.

Starling is told by her boss, agent Jack Crawford (Oliver Farnworth) to visit Lecter in his high security prison and win his confidence and probe his “experience” as a cannibalistic serial killer and former forensic psychiatrist to track Buffalo Bill down.

The story keeps the audience gripped as the horror worsens and Partridge just grows throughout the show as Lecter, charming one minute, sinister the next, as he uses Starling to win his escape from his dungeon like cell.

Gallagher is slick and efficient in her role and Jackson, shows a boyish insecurity mixed with a nasty streak as he persuades his victims to go back to his house, where they soon find his invitation is not for fun.

Lottie Amor plays victims Fredrica Bimmel and Catherine Martin with real passion, showing brilliantly just how terrifying the situation is as they realise a night out has turned into a death sentence.

Smaller roles are played by Andrew Joshi (Peterson, Lamar and Pembry), Johnny Magnanti (Brigham and Miggs), Jo Mousley (Kimberly Emberg and Senator Ruth Martin), Minal Patel (Frederick Chilton), Mark Peachey (Lucas, Pilcher and Greg) and Mary Timbrell-Hill (ensemble).

With matching sinister music from composer Grant Olding and lighting from Howard Hudson, the set just boosts the brilliance of director Nikolai Foster and the cast in this first class night of horror!

The Silence of the Lambs runs until Saturday, 29^th August at Theatre Royal Glasgow with ticket information at www.atgtickets.com.

The UK tour then moves to His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen from 1^st to 5^th September, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh from 8^th to 12^th September, Theatre Royal, Nottingham from 15^th to 19^th September, Milton Keynes Theatre from 28^th September to 3^rd October, The Lowry, Salford from 6^th to 10^th October, Alhambra Theatre, Bradford from 12^th to 17^th October, New Theatre, Oxford from 19^th to 24^th October, New Theatre, Peterborough from 27^th to 31^st October, New Theatre, Hull from 2^nd to 7^th November, Grand Opera Theatre, Belfast from 10^th to 14^th November, Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin from 24^th  to 28^th November 2026.

Next year The Silence of the Lambs cast will be performing at The Alexandra in Birmingham from 5^th to 9^th January 2027, The Grand Theatre, Blackpool from 11^th to 16^th January, Malvern Theatre from 26^th to 30^th January, Grand Theatre, Swansea from 15^th to 20^th February, Storyhouse from Chester, 22^nd to 27^th February, Theatre Royal, Brighton from 1^st to 6^th March, Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells from 9^th to 13^th March, Grand Opera House, York from 15^th to 20^th March, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry from 31^st March to 3^rd April, Richmond Theatre from 5^th to 10^th April, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham from 12^th to 17^th April, Bournemouth Pavilion from 19^th to 24^th April, Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton from 26^th April to 1^st May, Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield from 4^th to 8^th May, New Theatre, Cardiff from 10^th to 15^th May, Buxton Opera House from 17^th to 22^nd May, New Victoria Theatre, Woking from 31^st May to 5^th June, Liverpool Empire from 15^th to 19^th June and round off their tour at Sunderland Empire from 21^st to 26^th June 2027.

For more information, please visit: www.silenceofthelambsplay.com.

Author Bio:

Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.

Photographs by Marc Brenner