Based the beloved book and TV series of the same name, Rebus: A Game Called Malice follows a now retired John Rebus as he upsets the evening of a group of Edinburgh socialites, in a game of murder mystery. But maybe this is more than just a game. Perhaps the stakes are higher than any of the players once thought. Can this new stage adaptation live up to the hype generated by the long standing book series? You’ll have to get to the New Theatre this week to find out…
The character of Rebus has been around in various forms since the 1980’s and was first adapted for TV with John Hannah in 2000. The character has been a staple of Scottish literary crime culture for nearly four decades and it’s incredible to see him going strong in this latest outing.
This time around Gary O’Brien is taking on the role of Rebus, who does a great job of injecting energy and fun into the show. This is a little at odds with the iteration of the character who is supposedly grizzled, tired, and retired but the performance was enjoyable and kept the plot moving so it gets a pass from us. Alongside O’Brien is the returning Billy Hartman, reprising his role as Jack Fleming, the menacing gangster at the centrepiece of this mystery. Both men bounced off each other well, and their rivalry added depth to the plot, expanding it beyond the events of the dinner party taking place on stage.

The set design was impressive, with beautiful paintings and a simple yet effective staging, allowing the characters to flow in and out of the scene. The simplicity lends itself well to the plot which is quite complex at times and could have become harder to follow if there was a lot of set changes to keep track of. The story for the most part comes together by the end in a satisfying conclusion, and the characters are fun to watch as they turn on each other and fight to stay out of Rebus’ gaze. All the archetypes of classic murder mystery characters are there, with some modern updates who were all enjoyable to watch, especially Jade Kennedy’s gold digging TikTok influencer. Although there were maybe a few too many jabs at social media influencers for our liking.
Overall, Rebus: A Game Called Malice was a brisk and cosy mystery that you can’t really go wrong with if you’re a fan of the books, tv series or mystery theatre in general. I would encourage any armchair detective to get down to the New Theatre this week and unwind the twisted mysteries for yourself.