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Murder Before Evensong review – the Rev Richard Coles’s village mystery squeezes into cosy theatre

The Guardian Culture Friday 02 October 2026, 06:30 UTC By Mark Lawson 1 min read
Key Points

Watermill theatre, NewburyIan Hallard impresses as the detecting rector in a thoughtful adaptation that sometimes strains under a villageful of suspects, victims and doubling actorsPoirot, Marple, Rebus, Barnaby and Grace have all recently investigated cases on stage. The latest literary sleuth in the group is Canon Daniel Clement in this adaptation of the 2022 book by accomplished broadcaster and hapless Strictly Come Dancing contestant Reverend Richard Coles. The novel launched his series...

Watermill theatre, Newbury
Ian Hallard impresses as the detecting rector in a thoughtful adaptation that sometimes strains under a villageful of suspects, victims and doubling actors

Poirot, Marple, Rebus, Barnaby and Grace have all recently investigated cases on stage. The latest literary sleuth in the group is Canon Daniel Clement in this adaptation of the 2022 book by accomplished broadcaster and hapless Strictly Come Dancing contestant Reverend Richard Coles. The novel launched his series about a detecting rector.

Coles’ 1980s setting spared him the alibi-limiting restrictions of mobile phones and CCTV but also allowed characters in Champton, his fictional benefice, to have links with the second world war. The plot links the canon’s plans to install a lavatory at St Mary’s to events buried in the village’s military history that led to serial killing.

At Watermill theatre, Newbury, until 14 November

Continue reading...
Evensong (PERSON) the Rev Richard Coles’s (ORG) NewburyIan Hallard (ORG) Marple (ORG) Rebus (ORG) Barnaby (PERSON) Grace (PERSON) Daniel Clement (PERSON) Richard Coles (PERSON) Coles (PERSON) CCTV (ORG) Champton (ORG) St Mary’s (LOCATION) Newbury (LOCATION)
Originally published by The Guardian Culture Read original →

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