Review: The Silence of the Lambs play, UK Tour, Glasgow | A chilling adaptation of a horror classic
The new stage adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs arrives in Glasgow for its Scottish premiere this week, starring John Partridge as Hannibal Lecter. The Silence of the Lambs UK tour plays at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow until Saturday 29 August. Read my review here.
The Silence of the Lambs (play) UK Tour ★★★★☆
Review: 24 August 2026 | Theatre Royal, Glasgow
Pop culture sensation The Silence of the Lambs has been newly adapted for the UK stage by the team at Leicester Curve Theatre. Based on the award-winning novel by Thomas Harris, and featuring the unforgettable characters Dr Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling - made famous by Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in the Oscar-winning 1991 film - The Silence of the Lambs play premiered at Curve this month (August 2026) and is set to tour the UK through 2027.
Adapted for the stage by acclaimed American playwright Gina Gionfriddo, The Silence of the Lambs on stage more faithfully follows the novel than the film, so in the play we are granted a satisfying, deeper insight into some of the supporting characters' personal backgrounds and a better look at the psychological chess matches between Lecter and Starling.
But The Silence of the Lambs play follows the same core plot many will recognise from the film: FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Coronation Street's Mollie Gallagher in her professional stage debut) is top of her class at Quantico when she is sent to interview psychiatrist-turned-cannibalistic serial killer Dr Hannibal Lecter (the multi-talented John Partridge) at the maximum-security Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.
Clarice's boss, FBI Agent Jack Crawford (Oliver Farnworth), hopes that Lecter may be able to help them profile a new sadistic serial killer - nicknamed Buffalo Bill (Sam Jackson) - who has been kidnapping and murdering young women.
Clarice approaches Dr Lecter under the guise of asking him to complete a psychological questionnaire, but when the brilliant prisoner figures out that the FBI actually want his expertise to help solve the Buffalo Bill case, he offers to exchange his insights only if Clarice shares personal details about her past.
Impressive production values and stunning design
Mollie Gallagher is triumphant in her professional stage debut as the smart yet vulnerable Clarice Starling. Her subtle Southern American accent is flawless, and she exudes a steadfast confidence in what is essentially the lead role in this play. Also impressive, Sam Jackson's chilling Buffalo Bill - who is afforded more "screen" time here than in the film - is played with an eerie, almost sympathetic charisma. It's impossible to look away from him.
The iconic Hannibal Lecter is such an interesting role for triple-threat TV and stage star John Partridge. A renowned technical dancer and singer, he shines in stage shows that show off his vocal strength and acting through song. But as the caged Dr Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, Partridge is confined to a glass box for the majority of the show. It takes a special performer and a skilled sound and light team to pull that off in a live theatre production. And they do.
Partridge is calm, cold and convincing as Lecter, expertly demonstrating his versatility as a dramatic actor. My fears of muffled audio and peering into the confines of a cell at the back of the stage were also quickly and firmly put to rest. Carolyn Downing's sound design is immaculate.
Lecter's cell smoothly glides in and out of position from Michael Taylor's magnificent multi-layered set, permitting the audience a full voyeuristic view of Lecter in his glass box. When pivoted, the box doubles as a platform for Buffalo Bill from which he torments his victims.
The set is an architectural triumph, with multiple doors and offstage rooms evoking a cell block one minute and then, in no time, a motel corridor thanks to Howard Hudson's creative lighting. George Reeves' projections signal the location and timelines for every scene, and provide extra dramatic interest and depth.
The entire design for this production is jaw-dropping. The Silence of the Lambs UK tour is technically and visually stunning.
With Leicester Curve's visionary Artistic Director Nikolai Foster at the helm, the company seem to dance with the set and props in a complex waltz of moving bodies and props. The Silence of the Lambs on stage is a fast-paced, complex show, and with the supporting cast pleasingly dressed as prison orderlies or waiters (as the scene dictates) to move set pieces around, it all flows with remarkable, imperceptible grace. Foster expertly builds an intense atmosphere and doesn't shy away from showing the audience uncomfortable scenes either.
While always tricky to adapt a popular novel for the stage, Gina Gionfriddo and Nikolai Foster protect the key plot points and successfully capture the dark horror of Harris's beloved story. While it may not outshine the film, The Silence of the Lambs play comes pretty close. It's a deliciously dark, psychological thriller that delivers a memorable theatrical experience and a masterclass in stage design. ★★★★☆
The Silence of the Lambs plays at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow until Saturday 29 August, and then continues on tour across the UK
Book tickets here: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-silence-of-the-lambs/
Read the full cast announcement for Silence of the Lambs here
Find more Scottish theatre news and reviews here
I Saw it last night in Edinburgh and i have to say I wish I had not
.I didn't expect it to be straight from the movie or book but to have made up scenes and elements whicg acrually made it worse or confusing seemed a very wrong choice....JPs voice as Lector was hard to listen to and i struggled to enjoy it..sounded like a tougher olfer forrest gump...Buffalo bill looking like a 12 year old boy ruined the whole thing for me, making it seem childish and just unbelievable, along with the change from the transexual genre to a psycho mother carbon copy .It to me was boring and romanticised to much with a few cheap steals from th…