NHB Modern Plays- Murder Before Evensong

A gripping stage adaptation of Reverend Richard Coles' bestselling mystery, premiered at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury, in 2026. 'The parish needs to come together, Detective Sergeant. To mourn. Everyone is very raw. You know how a violent death affects a community. It brings all sorts of things to the surface, griefs long buried.' It's 1988, and the postcard-perfect village of Champton is a tight-knit parish community full of familiar faces and quietly simmering rivalries. At its heart is St Mary's Church and its rector, Canon Daniel Clement. When a shocking murder shatters the calm routines of village life, suspicion spreads and long-buried secrets rise to the surface. As the bodies mount, Daniel must hold his fractured community together – and uncover the killer in their midst... Adapted by Paul Hart and Shaun McKenna from the Reverend Richard Coles' bestselling novel, Murder Before Evensong is a gripping mystery where every pew holds a secret, and anyone could be guilty of murder. It premiered at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury, in 2026, directed by Paul Hart. 'Cosy crime with a cutting edge' Sunday Times on the original novel