Vertigo Theatre’s The Da Vinci Code faces the challenge every adaptation confronts: how do you make familiar material feel fresh? Director Simon Mallett solves this by focusing less on faithful recreation and more on what actually works in live theatre. The result is easily Vertigo’s strongest production this season.
The Thing About Graham Percy
The cast delivers across the board, anchored by Graham Percy as Robert Langdon and Isabella Pedersen as Sophie Neveu, with notable turns from Duval Lang as Sir Leigh Teabing and Mike Tan as Silas.
By now, you expect certain things from Percy. He brings warmth and natural comic timing that made last year’s Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson such a pleasure. What is surprising is how effortlessly he transforms
Professor Robert Langdon from a potentially insufferable know-it-all into someone you’d actually want solving mysteries alongside you.
This isn’t Hollywood’s version of brilliant, all jaw and heroic gestures. Percy’s Langdon is rumpled and slightly bewildered, genuinely smart without being smug about it. When he explains symbols, you believe he’s thinking through the problem rather than reciting exposition. It’s a small thing that makes all the difference.
Enter Isabella Pedersen
Pedersen brings quiet authority to Sophie Neveu, making cryptology seem perfectly natural while giving the character real emotional depth.
The partnership between Percy and Pedersen works because neither tries to carry the other. They solve this thing together, two minds clicking into sync with chemistry built on intellectual respect rather than manufactured romance. It’s refreshing.
Technical Without the Tears
Andy Moro’s projections could have overwhelmed everything, but they don’t. Anton DeGroot’s set design could have tried too hard to be clever, but it doesn’t either. Instead, you get seamless transitions from the Louvre to London churches to aeroplane cabins without ever forgetting you’re watching live theatre.
When da Vinci’s masterpieces appear—blown up, highlighted, dissected for hidden meanings—they serve the story rather than showing off the technology. The projections feel necessary rather than decorative, which is exactly what you want.
The Rest of the Machine
Lang as Sir Leigh Teabing provides comic relief that doesn’t undercut the stakes. Tan navigates the thankless role of fanatic monk Silas without descending into caricature, which is no small feat given what the script asks of him. The ensemble work throughout feels lived-in because these actors clearly understand how each piece fits the larger puzzle.
Joel Cochrane makes Jacques Sauniere more than a convenient corpse. Christopher Clare and Stephanie Bessala resist the temptation to play their pursuing police officers as buffoons. It’s solid work across the board that elevates the entire production.
What Actually Matters
Here’s the thing about adapting popular novels for the stage: audiences arrive with expectations. Some want exact recreation, while others hope for complete reinvention. Mallett splits the difference intelligently by honouring the source while creating something specifically theatrical.
The religious controversy that made Dan Brown’s book such a cultural lightning rod feels less urgent twenty years later. What remains is a solidly constructed mystery that moves at the right pace, reveals information when it should, and keeps you guessing without cheating. This is basic storytelling done well, which is rarer than it should be.
Two and a half hours pass quickly because the technical elements impress without overwhelming. The performances convince you of their reality while the mystery unfolds logically. These aren’t revolutionary achievements, but they matter more than flashier alternatives.
Bottom Line
The Da Vinci Code succeeds because it takes itself seriously without being precious about the endeavour. This represents Vertigo’s strongest work of the season—ambitious enough to feel important while remaining entertaining enough to justify that ambition.
Whether you’re a longtime Brown devotee or a complete newcomer like me, the production delivers what it promises. Some puzzles are worth solving, even when you suspect you already know the answer.
Through June 8 at Vertigo Theatre. Don’t wait to see this one.
