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BrumHour saw The Talented Mr. Ripley at the invite of Birmingham Rep.
By George Elsmere-Whitney
The Talented Mr. Ripley at Birmingham Rep: Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐”A stylish production”
Adapted and directed by Mark Leipacher
Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley tells the story of a con man, who gets in over his head, when sent to Italy to persuade a wealthy acquaintance to return to America.
Ed McVey (best known for playing Prince William in The Crown) is spellbinding as Tom Ripley. On stage for the entire two-hour production, McVey captures Ripley’s extreme swings from nervous underdog to charming grifter to paranoid psychopath without ever losing credibility. It’s a demanding role, full of false fronts and heavy narration, but McVey handles it with ease.
Dickie Greenleaf (played by Bruce Herbelin-Earle) is equal parts obnoxious American playboy and charismatic artist, and it’s easy to see why Ripley becomes enamoured with Greenleaf and his confidence. Herbelin-Earle’s chemistry with McVey also sells the strange obsession between the two men, even as their relationship spirals into catastrophe.
Holly Pigott’s sparse design features a raised white platform with a hole at its centre, serving as the production’s sole staging element. With just a few props and the cast’s movements, the platform transforms into a boat, a bar, a bedroom, or wherever the story requires.
The supporting cast often functions as a Greek chorus, amplifying Ripley’s internal struggles. Their presence adds the sense that Ripley is constantly being observed, and they frequently turn on him, voicing his paranoia and accusing him of all the worst things he believes about himself. It is an effective device.
Mark Leipacher’s directorial choices draw the audience into Ripley’s unravelling mind. At moments when it seems Ripley’s con is about to collapse, the action is interrupted by a shout of “Cut!”. Lights blaze on stage, and the ensemble rushes on to criticise Ripley’s performance and reset the scene for another take, as if on a film set. Though this sometimes undercuts the tension, it effectively shows how Ripley rehearses scenarios in his head to keep wriggling out of trouble.
This is a stylish production with standout performances, especially from Ed McVey.
The Talented Mr. Ripley is at the Birmingham Rep until Saturday 27th September 2025. Book tickets here: birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/the-talented-mr-ripley.
