Murder, Mayhem And A Dinner Party Gone Spectacularly Wrong

Rufus Hound, Susie Blake and Carla Mendonça star in the new comedy thriller The Other Side of Murder, coming to Blackpool from 20 to 24 October.

A cosy family dinner. A famous TV medium. A room full of people with things to hide. When A famous TV medium invites his family to dinner. Before the night is over, an unexpected guest has arrived, secrets are escaping and things that should stay buried are making themselves known.

The Other Side of Murder comes to Blackpool Grand Theatre from Tuesday 20 to Saturday 24 October, serving up the kind of night out where you laugh, jump and spend the journey home arguing about what you missed. With tickets from just £18, gather someone who loves a mystery and prepare for a dinner party you’ll be very glad to watch from a safe distance.

Rufus Hound stars as Darius Divine, the celebrated medium whose hit television show is called The Other Side. Darius expects awkward small talk at a cosy family meal. What he gets is his pregnant lover, a Gilbert and Sullivan-obsessed mother-in-law and ghostly visitations that threaten to expose far more than anyone intended. As dinner burns and tempers rise, the evening tips from domestic farce into something altogether more unsettling. Darius makes a living convincing people he can see what others cannot - but can he see what is happening in his own home?

The cast gives audiences plenty of familiar faces to suspect. Hound, whose stage credits include One Man, Two Guvnors and The Wind in the Willows, is joined by Susie Blake as Miriam. Known for her work with Victoria Wood and in Coronation Street, Blake also appeared in playwright Torben Betts’s earlier thrillers Murder at Midnight and Murder in the Dark. Carla Mendonça, familiar to television audiences from My Parents Are Aliens, So Awkward and Coronation Street, plays Susannah. Her extensive theatre work includes productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the comedy Noises Off.

Completing the principal cast are Aisha Jawando (Hamilton, Tina: The Musical) as Laura, Beth Lilly (The Play That Goes Wrong, Grantchester) as Jen, and Andy McLeod (Murder at Midnight) as Jason and understudy Darius. They bring Betts’s tangle of family tensions, suspicious behaviour and explosive revelations to life as the story races towards its final twist.

If you loved the escalating mishaps of Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em, the supernatural mischief of Blithe Spirit or the dark comedy of Murder at Midnight, this has the ingredients for your next great night out. Blackpool audiences will remember The Grand’s 2025 production of Blithe Spirit; this time, the ghostly goings-on come with a fresh mystery and a new household in disarray.

Presented by Original Theatre in association with Theatr Clwyd, the production is directed by Philip Franks. The creative team includes designer Colin Falconer, sound designer and composer Max Pappenheim, and illusion designer John Bulleid - helping to turn Darius’s world of televised mystique and ghostly encounters into a live theatre experience.

Andrew Howard, Head of Audiences, Marketing and Sales at Blackpool Grand Theatre, said: “There’s something irresistible about a murder mystery that makes you laugh while you’re trying to work out who to trust. You’ve got a brilliant cast, a family dinner going spectacularly wrong and the pleasure of watching it all unravel together in the theatre. If you enjoyed Blithe Spirit or Murder at Midnight, bring the person you like swapping theories with. With tickets from £18, we’ve got your next great night out sorted.”

The Other Side of Murder runs at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Tuesday 20 to Saturday 24 October 2026. Tickets start at £18, excluding any collection or delivery fees. Book at blackpoolgrand.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01253 290190. The Saturday 24 October, 2pm performance will be audio described and BSL interpreted. The production is recommended for ages 14 and over.

There is a story beyond the stage, too. The Grand Opulence heritage tour on Wednesday 7 October opens up Frank Matcham’s theatre and its remarkable history. Those keen to explore further can look ahead to the Backstage Secrets tour on Thursday 12 November. Both tours involve stairs.

With so many reasons to visit, the hardest part may be choosing just one night. Discover the full programme and book at blackpoolgrand.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01253 290190.

Image Credit: Manuel Harlan