Gruesome, Grisly, Gory : The Silence Of The Lambs

I always like to digest theatre performances on a full stomach, my favourite pre-show meal being thinly sliced steak and frites at a local French bistro.

However, due to the cannibalistic nature of The Silence of the Lambs I swapped red meat for fish pie and mashed potato to avoid bouts of nausea - or worse.

Based on novelist Thomas Harris’s psychological crime thriller, the world premiere of the stage play which opened on August 1, is already being hailed a ‘killer production’ in every aspect.

As with the film adaptation starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, a strong constitution is required for the two-hour performance where FBI trainee and psychology graduate, Clarice Starling, comes head-to-head with Hannibal Lecter, a psychiatrist and cannibalistic sociopath serving nine consecutive life sentences for brutal murders.

The tension between John Partridge (Lecter) and Mollie Gallagher (Starling) commenced at a steady pace – building to a breathless momentum as Clarice impressively holds her own against the monster who is serving nine consecutive life sentences for brutal murders.

The second half is electrifying - as her dangerous ‘quid pro quo’ mind game with Lecter for the highest stakes - plays out.

Lecter’s warped obsession - and enjoyment - in feeding on the horrors of Clarice’s disturbed childhood to satiate his depravity, shook me to the core.

Hopkins and Foster’s Oscar-winning performances are undoubtedly hard acts to follow. With commanding stage presence, Partridge and Gallagher are supreme, making the roles their own.

Partridge superbly depicts Lecter’s multi-faceted traits – his intelligent, mocking and acerbic nature combine with the serious and malevolent aspects.

I’m a child of the 70s, so when the film came out in 1991, I was one of those core Silence viewers. It lives in our zeitgeist. When I first heard about it being put on, I thought “Ooh, that would be fantastic!” Ahead of my audition, they very kindly sent me the script and told me to pick two scenes, so I said to my good friend [actress] Tamzin Outhwaite, “I need you to read with me”, and when she found out what it was, she went “Oh my god!” I feel very lucky this has come my way.
John Partridge

Making her stage debut, the stand out performance goes to Gallagher who is magnificent as the resilient trauma survivor, Clarice. Every nuance of her performance is flawless, her clipped Virginia accent, excellent - and the audience is with her throughout her hellish mission.

Oliver Farnworth exudes authority and gravitas as Agent Jack Crawford, Clarice’s boss who heads the FBI’s Behavioural Science Unit which compiles psychological profiles of serial killers.

Exuding courage and determination in the ultimate invidious situation, Lottie Amor shines as Katherine Martin, Buffalo Bill’s latest victim.

Sam Jackson made my flesh crawl as the warped Buffalo Bill, a personification of evil whose obsession with his mother drives his killing and skinning frenzy.

Playwright Gina Gionfriddo’s adaptation of the novel is brilliant - as is Nikolai Foster’s artistic direction. The creative and technical excellence of Michael Taylor’s sets with cinematic elements and a claustrophobic prison environment are terrific, enhanced by Howard Hudson’s lighting and Carolyn Downing’s sound design.

After the horrific but highly recommended experience, I headed home physically and emotionally drained. Suffice to say, attempts to block out the evil by watching Paddington 2 into the night were to no avail.

Had I bitten off more than I could chew by an immersion into such psychological torture? Absolutely.

Would I do it again? Of course.

The Silence of the Lambs plays Newcastle Theatre Royal until Saturday, August 22, 2026. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.

For details of the UK tour with venues spanning the Lowry, Salford, The Alhambra, Bradford, New Theatre, Hull, Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield and the Grand Opera House, York, visit The Silence of the Lambs UK Tour