Cast confirmed for brand-new Roy Grace theatre tour with Sussex dates

Dates include February 27-March 1 at Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre and March 4-8 at Theatre Royal Brighton.

Peter said: “It is truly incredible for me to see the seventh stage adaptation of my books coming to theatres in 2025. I am so grateful to the hundreds of thousands of people around the country who have come to their local theatre and enjoyed the plays over the last ten years, and I am thrilled to tell you all that personally I think this brand-new play is the best one so far! On top of that, I could not be more delighted by the fantastic cast that we have assembled to star in the world premiere production of Picture You Dead – they are all brilliant actors and it’s going to be a great and thrilling night at the theatre.”

2024 National Television Award winning actor Peter Ash will return to the stage, following his emotional exit from Coronation Street in September. Peter’s other credits include Footballers’ Wives and the lead role in the National Theatre’s War Horse. Joining Peter is Fiona Wade who, following 11 years in Emmerdale, took to the stage last year in the hit 2:22 A Ghost Story. She is also in the Fox comedy series Going Dutch. Jodie Steele (Bonnie & Clyde, Wicked, Heathers, SIX) takes the role of Roberta Kilgore. George Rainsford (Casualty, Call the Midwife and All’s Well That Ends Well at the National Theatre) will reprise the role of DSI Roy Grace, which he played in the 2023 production of Wish You Were Dead. George will also reunite with Fiona, with whom he appeared in 2:22 A Ghost Story.

Picture You Dead is the seventh Peter James book to be adapted for the stage by award-winning writer Shaun McKenna and is directed by Jonathan O’Boyle who has previously directed two Peter James stage adaptations, Wish You Were Dead (2023) and Looking Good Dead (2021-2022).

The story of Picture You Dead was inspired by Peter’s meeting with real life art forger and now acclaimed copyist David Henty. Set in Brighton, DSI Grace investigates a cold case that leads him to the rarified air of fine art, but beneath the respectable veneer lurks a dark underworld of greed, deception and murder. When an unsuspecting couple unwittingly buy a potentially long-lost masterpiece in a car boot sale, they discover that their dream find is about to turn into their worst nightmare, and only Grace can stop them from paying the ultimate price.

Peter’s Roy Grace books have sold more than 23 million copies worldwide, been previously adapted for six hugely successful stage productions and transformed into ITV's critically acclaimed primetime drama Grace. Season five is currently in production. Peter James has 20 Sunday Times number one bestselling crime novels to his name.