Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley franchise has been adapted countless times since the psychological thriller, The Talented Mr. Ripley was first published in 1955; the most notable adaptations being the 1999 film starring Matt Damon as the titular character, and the 2024 Netflix series, Ripley with Andrew Scott. The fascinating thing about all these incarnations (including Mark Leipacher’s 2025 stage production) is the artistic licence Highsmith’s sometimes vague but brilliant storytelling allows to show an alternative side to the characters now celebrating their 70^th year.  

The Talented Mr Ripley tells of Tom Ripley, whose character will massively vary depending on who you ask. He could be described as a sociopath, narcissist, psychopath or compulsive liar; or is he charming, traumatised or endearing. It’s not often you are rooting for someone so deceitful and murderous but ultimately that’s how you will feel after watching Ed McVey’s seamless, magnetic performance. Ripley is approached in New York by Herbert Greenleaf (Christopher Bianchi) to attempt to persuade son, Dickie (Bruce Herbelin-Earle), to return to America from Italy to continue the family shipbuilding legacy. What follows is Ripley’s gradual obsession with Dickie and/or his life culminating in him always having the feeling of being watched… 

Leipacher’s meta production is smart and mostly sleek, yet occasionally could be confusing to those unaware of the backstory. Some of the direction choices soar and, when aided by Max Pappenheim’s subtle yet impactful sound design, Zeynep Kepekli’s blazing and sometimes blinding lighting design, and Holly Pigott’s stark set design, add further dimensions to the material- indeed the characters previously left unexplored in other iterations. A wise man one wrote, “all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players”, and that is certainly the case with the supporting cast and even the audience in Ripley’s world. These are the moments that add depth and relatability to Ripley’s character when McVey breaks the fourth wall, much to the amusement of the audience. “Boring”, it’s anything but.  

Other areas of the direction seem overly contrived and stylised, adding nothing to the fluidity, and appearing surprisingly clunky in the already bare set. That being said, the additions of the director’s cut to change the resulting scenes are a subtle and welcome nod to the at times absurdity and stupidity of the characters. 

The cast are phenomenal in bringing Leipacher’s vision to life. With the cast representing the furies to shadow Ripley, are they his conscience? His past troubles? His multiple personalities? Whatever the directorial choice, it adds to the final comparison of Ripley being like Orestes, never being able to rest again. The contrast of McVey’s performance throughout, aided by Pigott’s costumes and WHAM by Craig Forrest-Thomas is sublime, particularly during Act 2. Herbelin-Earle plays the pompously confident Dickie to perfection and Maisie Smith does all she can with the writing to portray the subtleties of Marge, even if her character lacks the depth on paper. 

This is a production that, although will not always hit for the new patrons to Ripley’s world, for the already accustomed, gives a new interpretation that further shows why the character continues to be a favourite some seven decades on. 

The Talented Mr. Ripley continues at Lowry until Saturday 22nd November. Further information and booking can be found here.

Tickets received in exchange for an honest review. #AD

Photograph by Mark Senior.