DSI Roy Grace back on stage in the world premiere UK tour of 'Picture You Dead'

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

Never before seen on stage or screen, Picture You Dead’s story was inspired when Peter James met real-life former master art forger, and now acclaimed copyist, David Henty. Henty was arrested in the 1990s for forging passports and learnt how to copy major artworks while in prison. Returning to the stage to portray the ex-convict is National Television Award winning actor, Peter Ash, following his commended emotional exit from Coronation Street. Ash’s numerous credits include Footballers’ Wives and National Theatre’s War Horse.

Joining Ash is Fiona Wade who, following 11 years in Emmerdale, trod the boards last year in the hit 2:22 A Ghost Story and can currently be seen starring in the new Fox comedy series, Going Dutch. Wade plays Freya Kipling, who naively attracts the attention of dodgy dealers after buying a potentially multi-million-pound masterpiece at a car boot sale.

One of the nation’s favourite TV doctors George Rainsford, (Casualty, Call the Midwife, All’s Well That Ends Well), returns to the role of Peter James’ protagonist DSI Roy Grace, which he played in the 2023 hit production of Wish You Were Dead. And West End favourite Jodie Steele (Bonnie & Clyde, Wicked, Heathers, SIX) stars as the heartless villain, Roberta Kilgore.

The full cast features Ben Cutler as Harry Kipling, Gemma Stroyan as Bella Moy, Nicholas Maude as Stuart Piper, Adam Morris as Oliver De Souza and Mark Oxtoby as Archie Goff. The understudies are Valentina Arena and Ross Telfer.

Peter James said: “It is truly incredible for me to see the seventh stage adaptation of my books. I am so grateful to the hundreds of thousands of people around the UK who have come to their local theatre and enjoyed the plays over the last 10 years. Now that I have seen Picture You Dead performed, I am thrilled to say I think this new play is the best one so far!”

Set in Brighton, Picture You Dead sees DSI Grace investigate a cold case that leads him to the rarified air of fine art, but beneath the respectable veneer lurks a murky 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 drama, GRACE. And, last year, Roy Grace was declared by Her Majesty Queen Camilla as her favourite literary detective!

Peter James has had 20 Sunday Times no.1 bestselling crime novels to date. The world premiere tour of Picture You Dead is the seventh thrilling stage adaptation of James’ books, produced by Joshua Andrews and Peter James, it cements the theatrical adaptations as the most successful modern-day crime franchise on stage since Agatha Christie.

Picture You Dead visits Richmond Theatre 18 - 22 March. Tickets are on sale now via www.peterjames.com.