The Watermill Theatre has announced the full cast and creative team for the world premiere stage adaptation of Reverend Richard Coles’ bestselling novel Murder Before Evensong, which runs from 25 September to 14 November 2026.
Due to extraordinary demand, two additional performances have been added on Monday 26 October and Monday 2 November, ahead of a national press night on Tuesday 29 September.
Adapted by Paul Hart and Shaun McKenna, the team behind the multi-award-winning stage production of The Lord of the Rings, the new production will star Ian Hallard as Canon Daniel Clement.
Hallard’s previous credits include The Way Old Friends Do at the Criterion Theatre, The Boys in the Band at the Vaudeville Theatre and Great Britain at the National Theatre.
Joining him in the cast are Ajani Cabey as Alex de Floures and Harvey Porteous, Caroline Gruber as Audrey Clement and Kath Sharman, David Hounslow as Bernard de Floures, Ned Thwaite and Edgy Liversedge, Kate Russell-Smith as Honoria de Floures, Dora Sharman and Anne Dollinger, Jaz Singh Deol as D.S. Neil Vanloo and Anthony Bowness, Julie Teal as Stella Harper and Margaret Porteous, and Alex Wilson as Theo Clement and Nathan Liversedge.
Set in the fictional village of Champton in 1988, Murder Before Evensong centres on Canon Daniel Clement, whose quiet parish life is shattered when a murder rocks the close-knit community.
As suspicion spreads through the village and hidden secrets begin to emerge, Daniel finds himself drawn into an increasingly dangerous investigation. Forced to navigate long-standing rivalries and buried histories, he must uncover the truth before more lives are lost.
The production is directed by Paul Hart and features set and costume design by Ceci Calf, lighting design by Charly Dunford, sound design by Steven Atkinson, video design by Rachel Sampley, intimacy direction by Foxy, dialect coaching by Elspeth Morrison and associate direction by Lilac Yosiphon. Casting is by Cydney Beech.
Paul Hart said: “It takes a village to create… a village. And the Watermill is surely the most perfect theatre in the country to bring Richard’s glorious novel to the stage. We have assembled an extraordinary cast who will bring vivid detail and incredible range to the various, beloved characters who make up this community. And I’m delighted to be collaborating again with this creative team who we last worked with on The Autobiography of a Cad. We can’t wait to bring this world premiere to life.”
During the run, audiences will also have the opportunity to hear directly from Reverend Richard Coles during An Audience with Richard Coles, a fundraising event taking place at the Watermill Theatre on Friday 16 October 2026. The event will explore the inspiration behind the novel, its depiction of English village life and the creation of amateur sleuth Daniel Clement, followed by a book signing.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
