Morse is pure escapism...

TOM CHAMBERS IS KEEPING WHODUNNIT SECRETS AS HE TALKS TO MARION McMULLEN ABOUT TAKING A FAMOUS TV INSPECTOR TO THE STAGE

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I've grown up loving John Thaw's Morse and Endeavour and Lewis.

John Thaw’s work in particular is so outstanding and he’s a wonderful actor to observe and watch. His dry sense of humour and his presence as Morse and him being very rooted and grounded.

When the director Anthony Banks said: “I've come across this script; and it was written by the late Alma Cullen, who was one of the original TV writers, I thought, “wow, Morse. I mean what's not to love about Morse?” I read the script and thought is was a really great story and so well written and thought what a joy it would be to be a part of that.

How have you been getting to grips with the character?

Probably just trying to get the feeling of John Thaw. Not to try and emulate, but at least the style and the grace.

I feel I'm not a million miles off him as a person in some ways maybe now I'm a bit older: I’ve just been reading the lines over and over and feeling the part and the texture.

Are you a whodunnit fan?

I think we all enjoy a murder mystery, a whodunnit. It tantalises the mind. I’m fascinated with the cogs and the logistics, but I don’t try to solve them. With Father Brown on BBC, I play the detective and my job is to get it wrong. It’s Father Brown who gets it right.