This full-cast BBC radio dramatisation captures the quiet gloom and moral ambiguity at the heart of Colin Dexter’s debut Inspector Morse novel. The 1985 adaptation is released during the 50th anniversary of the publication of ‘Last Bus to Woodstock', the story that introduced high brow Oxford detective Inspector Morse to the world. It came two years before the acclaimed ITV series launched on television.
Although it's hard to imagine anybody else besides the late, great John Thaw playing Inspector Morse in Colin Dexter's stories, a radio adaptation is perhaps the easiest way to accept another actor in the role. The late Andrew Burt, who was a decent and regularly employed jobbing character actor (but seldom the star), has a surprisingly similar take on the part compared to Thaw. They both draw on Morse's irascibility and unease around women. This faithful adaptation of Dexter's novel is a curiosity for fans: a full dramatisation of a canonical story that pre-dates the TV series. That in itself ensures it's intriguing for Morse fans. It was the chemistry between Morse and Lewis that helped to make the TV series such event viewing. This radio drama successfully creates a good dynamic between the highly-strung, educated, snobbish and southern Morse (Burt) and his reliable, easy-going, relatable and northern sidekick, Sergeant Lewis (Christopher Douglas – a familiar radio voice).
When two young women, Sylvia Kaye and Jennifer Coleby, miss their bus from Oxford to Woodstock, they decide to hitchhike. Only one of them, Sylvia, is later found dead in the car park of the Black Prince pub, brutally murdered. Inspector Morse and the newly assigned Sergeant Lewis are assigned to investigate. The dead woman was a complex character who led a dangerous lifestyle. The duo's murder inquiry spirals into a web of deceit, jealousy and sexual intrigue. Morse's line of investigation draws in the lives of Oxford academics and clerical staff, where respectable appearances often prove deceptive. Several men connected to the deceased come under suspicion, including a reserved university don and a married secretary entangled in an affair. The audience is kept guessing about the identity of the killer until the climactic scenes.
There's a lot to like about ‘Last Bus to Woodstock'. It's easy to imagine that the BBC would have continued to serialise Dexter's novels for radio had ITV not swooped in and turned it into one of the greatest detective series of all time instead. That would have been enough to consign this audio adaptation to the archives. Director Brian Miller (himself a familiar face on television as a jobbing character actor) keeps a good pace and ensures the story grabs the listener throughout all four episodes.
The main criticism of this version is that the supporting actors double up on parts. Although they differentiate between the characters, they don't always do so wholly successfully. By episode three I was a little confused about exactly who was talking and what their part in the plot was. This could have been avoided by paying for a larger cast (almost certainly the budget would not have stretched that far) or by cutting and amalgamating characters in the script.
As an added bonus, there are two short stories added to this release, both written by Colin Dexter. ‘The Burglar', read by John Turner, sees Morse investigating a supposed break-in at the home of a wealthy Oxford academic, where a number of valuable items have been reported stolen. But Morse's powers of observation quickly lead him to deduce that all is not as it seems.
‘Monty's Revolver', read by Joe Dunlop, also involves a burglary. Monty's prized family heirloom – a revolver, is reported missing. But as Morse delves deeper into the seemingly petty theft, he uncovers that the missing revolver is not just an old relic but the key to a past act of violence. The weapon was connected to a wartime incident that left lasting scars on everyone involved…
If you love ‘Inspector Morse', and more importantly, the literary world of the detective as imagined in print by author Colin Dexter, then you are likely to find a lot to enjoy in this audio collection. ‘The Last Bus to Woodstock' is undoubtedly the highlight. It even contains an awkward Morse dalliance in romance. Celebrate the half century of ‘Inspector Morse' with something a little different from the BBC archives.
Cast: Andrew Burt, Christopher Douglas, John Hartoch, Deborah Appleby, Patricia Gibson, Deborah Cranston, Jane Bickerton, Alan Thompson, Graham Blockey, Maggie Tarver Director: Brian Miller Publisher: Penguin Random House UK audio Publication date: 2nd October 2025 Buy ‘Inspector Morse: Last Bus to Woodstock'
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