Review: Midsomer Murders – The Killings at Badger’s Drift at New Theatre Oxford

There is something quietly poetic about Daniel Casey’s return to Midsomer Murders. For audiences who remember him as the dependable Sergeant Troy, his reappearance in The Killings at Badger’s Drift – this time as DCI Tom Barnaby – carries a sense of full-circle inevitability.

“So it’s a massive promotion, going from a detective sergeant to a chief inspector. I’ve certainly earned my spurs,” he says, with a wry awareness of the journey.

It is, however, more than a simple step up the ranks. The role of Barnaby is indelibly associated with John Nettles, who defined the character across 13 series of the television adaptation. For Casey, the transition is both deeply personal and professionally significant – rooted in a relationship that mirrors the very dynamic at the heart of the show.

“Barnaby and Troy had an almost father/son, mentor/pupil relationship and that is very much like my relationship with John,” he reflects. When Nettles heard the news, his response was characteristically understated: “Well, he’s learned at the feet of the master.”

“That is certainly true,” Casey adds. And with that lineage comes a clear guiding principle: “John’s advice to me has always been ‘Be true to yourself,’ so that is how I have approached playing Barnaby.”

Honouring the past, shaping the present

Casey is careful to strike a balance between reverence and originality. Having spent years observing Nettles at close quarters – “standing next to him, watching and listening” – he acknowledges the influence, but resists imitation.

“I think it is important not to do an impression, so I will be bringing my own ideas to the role, while honouring John’s original Barnaby’s essential attributes of honesty and integrity.”

Those qualities – steadiness, moral clarity, quiet observation – remain central to the character, and Casey’s interpretation leans into them with a subtle confidence. It is less about reinvention and more about continuity, filtered through experience.

Returning to Midsomer

Revisiting the world of Midsomer Murders was not, by Casey’s own admission, part of the plan. Having left the series in 2003 to pursue other opportunities, he had assumed that chapter was closed.

“I never thought that I would revisit it,” he says. “I had such a happy time playing Troy… but when I made the decision to leave to pursue other things I thought that was that.”

It was only when director Guy Unsworth approached him about the stage adaptation that the possibility resurfaced. Even then, it took a moment of clarity – a workshop reading – to convince him.

“Sitting down and reading Barnaby out loud, it just felt right.”

Now, stepping into the role at a similar age to Nettles when the original episode aired, the experience carries an added resonance. “It brought back so many memories from a really lovely part of my career.”

The enduring appeal of Midsomer

Part of that nostalgia is tied to the show’s remarkable longevity. Syndicated in over 200 territories worldwide, Midsomer Murders has achieved a rare cross-generational appeal – something Casey believes is rooted in its distinctive tone.

“It’s set in the modern day yet it has a kind of 1940s or 1950s feel to it. It’s a wonderful form of escapism… It’s good versus evil, right versus wrong.”

There is, too, a uniquely British quality to its world: the idyllic countryside, the eccentric characters, the quiet tension beneath polite society. “It’s full of eccentrics, which British actors play so well,” he notes – a sentiment that feels particularly apt in the context of a stage production, where those characters can be amplified and explored in new ways.

Theatre, transformation, and the joy of touring

For Casey, the move to theatre is not simply a return, but a reaffirmation of a long-held passion. With an extensive stage career alongside his television work, he relishes the immediacy and unpredictability of live performance.

“I love being part of a company of actors… the challenge is to keep something fresh, real and immediate every night, and I like that challenge.”

That sense of dynamism is at the heart of The Killings at Badger’s Drift, where a multi-rolling cast shifts seamlessly between characters. It is, Casey suggests, part of the production’s appeal.

“We have a fantastic cast of actors who are multi-roling… I challenge the audience to guess how many actors there are in the cast as they transform into so many different characters between scenes!”

Touring, too, offers its own rewards – not least the connection with audiences. “It’s lovely to be able to meet the audience afterwards – especially with something like Midsomer Murders that’s got such a loyal fan base.”

A world worth returning to

Ultimately, Casey’s return to Midsomer is underpinned by something simple: affection. For the character, for the story, and for the experience that shaped a formative part of his career.

“I never expected to revisit the world of Midsomer, with its weird and wonderful characters and all their dark, twisted secrets,” he has said elsewhere. And yet, in stepping into Barnaby’s shoes, he has done precisely that – bringing with him both the weight of legacy and the freedom of rediscovery.

For audiences, it is an opportunity to see a familiar world through a slightly different lens. For Casey, it is something perhaps rarer: a return that feels earned.