Midsomer Murders : 
The Killings at Badgers Drift

It’s a really talented cast each actor multi rolling characters bringing to life all the quirkiness of the village and Unsworth wisely avoids straight imitation. Instead, he gives us a hilarious tongue in cheek Midsomer with a larger than life crowd. Each person having their own agendas as the story and scenes feed seamlessly in to one another. The villagers seem aware that something is off, as though the entire county knows it’s being watched by millions. There are sly winks to the audience, a reference to “how many murders can one village endure?” gets a knowing laugh, but the humour never tips into mockery. Then, just when the laughter lulls, the play plunges into real unease. The discovery of another body, a simple blackout, a thud, a gasp is then followed by a silence so complete you could hear a pin drop. 

David Woodhead’s set is a triumph of Englishness. Cottage walls sliding like gossip, curtains that conceal more than they reveal and everything moves with a theatrical sleight of hand. This Badger’s Drift doesn’t just translate a beloved TV show, it reinvents it. It’s both a parody and a eulogy, a love letter to English eccentricity with blood spatters on the furniture.