Preview: Picture You Dead at Newcastle Theatre Royal

 Star cast announced for Picture You Dead at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Picture You Dead 

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 May 2025

A multi-star cast has been announced for the world premiere of the stage adaptation of Picture You Dead - adapted from Peter James’ bestselling novel - which will visit Newcastle Theatre Royal. 

2024 National Television Award winning actor, Peter Ash (War Horse; Footballers’ Wives), will return to the stage, following his acclaimed and unforgettably emotional exit from Coronation Street in September. Joining Peter is Fiona Wade who, following 11 years in Emmerdale, took to the stage earlier this year in the hit 2:22 A Ghost Story alongside George Rainsford, who will return to the Peter James franchise to reprise the role of DSI Roy Grace, which he also played in the most recent Peter James play to visit Newcastle Theatre Royal, Wish You Were Dead. West End favourite Jodie Steele (Wicked, Heathers, SIX) will star as Roberta Kilgore.

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.

Roy Grace is a crime fiction phenomenon - the books have sold over 23 million copies worldwide, been previously adapted for six hugely successful stage productions, and transformed into ITV's critically acclaimed primetime drama about the Brighton-based detective, Grace.  Season four of the crime series was another ratings smash-hit, with season five currently in production. And earlier this year, Grace was declared by Her Majesty Queen Camilla herself, as her favourite literary detective!

Peter James 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 10 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!”

Peter James has 20 Sunday Times number one bestselling crime novels to his name. The world premiere tour of Picture You Dead marks the latest and seventh thrilling theatre adaptation of his books and is once again produced by Joshua Andrews and Peter James cementing the adaptations of James’ Grace books, as the most successful modern-day crime franchise on stage, since Agatha Christie.

Tickets:

Picture You Dead plays Newcastle Theatre Royal during May 2025. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.