Watching this stage adaptation of Thomas Harris’s iconic horror novel was a fascinating experience as somebody who enjoyed both the book and the film. It diverges from the latter just enough to be refreshing without upsetting fans. 

Drawing more heavily from the novel, it fleshes out the backstories of Agent Starling and especially Buffalo Bill. Quite understandably, any reference to him potentially being transgender has been scrapped. Instead, he’s a Norman Bates type character who’s fixated on his late mother and spends most of the runtime in his underpants. It’s a socially aware play in general, with more focus given to Bill’s victims and their families, and a deeper exploration of the misogyny Starling faces as she trains for the FBI. 

I wondered how they’d manage to shrink the story’s many locations down for the stage, but an inventive set with moving parts does it quite nicely, doubling as a forensic facility and dungeon. Certain key moments take place offstage, but there’s no lack of violence - a realistic prosthetic corpse is central to one scene. 

It’s a thoughtful adaptation with a good cast, and I’d recommend giving it a watch as it continues touring.

Sid Phoebus