The Anatomy of Burke and Hare – Viking Theatre – Review
by Frank L.

The Anatomy of Burke and Hare – Written by Darragh Gilhooly
Dates: Monday 2 February 2026 – Saturday 14 February 2026 @ 20:00

Set in 1828 in Edinburgh, Gilhooly dramatises the story of William Burke and William Hare, who over a period of 10 months committed sixteen murders. The play starts with them stealing cadavers from freshly dug graves. Cadavers were needed to demonstrate the workings of the human anatomy in the emerging, more scientifically based, medical profession. Burke and Hare sold the cadavers to one Robert Knox, who used them in his anatomy lectures. There was money to be made in this grisly trade.  Burke and Hare discovered, by chance, a means to expedite the process. The result is sixteen murders to create the necessary supply.

These are the grim facts, but Gilhooly has crafted seventy minutes of enthralling theatre as he explains how the deadly activities of Hare (Darragh Gillhooly) and Burke (Ruairi Lenaghan) are carried out. It is all made possible by Gilhooly’s text and the consummate skill each actor employs in bringing not only Hare and Burke into credible three-dimensional life, but also in playing two other characters with equal aplomb. It is not only their individual performances that are captivating but also how they interact with each other.

The set is minimal but does contain a large trunk. There are a few props, including a walking stick, which has more than one use as the characters are involved in their deadly enterprise. The movements of Gilhooly and Lenaghan around the entire stage are cleverly crafted by Jennie Morris-Toolen. Director Gwenelle Gillet keeps everything moving at a fair clip and permits the inevitable black humour to leaven the overall sombre business.

This is a fine piece of theatre. It deserves to be seen by a wide audience in many venues.