Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie will appear on stage together for the first time in Peter James’s thriller The Perfect Murder which is part of the spring 2016 season at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre.
Known to EastEnders viewers as Kat and Alfie Moon, the couple will play dysfunctional husband and wife Victor and Joan Smiley in this new touring production which visits the Belgrade from 29 March until 2 April.
Theatrical intrigue features prominently in the season. Coronation Street’s Oliver Mellor and Hollyoaks actress Terry Dwyer will take to the stage in a new adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder from 26 until 30 January.
This will be followed by the classic British crime thriller Get Carter. Inspired by the novel by Ted Lewis, this murder-mystery is “set against an explosive backdrop of sex, gambling and violence in 1960s Newcastle”. It visits the Belgrade from 22 until 26 March.
Jason Durr, David Lonsdale, Tricia Penrose and Steven Blakeley, original members of the TV sitcom Heartbeat, will be sent to Coventry for the stage adaptation of the show which runs from 11 until 16 April.
The Agatha Christie Theatre Company returns to the Belgrade with a new staging of Rehearsal For Murder from 9 until 14 May.
Widely regarded as an American masterpiece, Lorraine Hansbury’s seminal family drama A Raisin in the Sun can be seen in the Belgrade’s B2 auditorium from 22 until 26 March.
Throughout spring 2016, B2 will play host to a season showcasing some of the best new work by South Asian artists. The programme includes dance theatre company Phizzical with Bring on the Bollywood from 23 until 30 April and Kali Theatre’s new production of The Dishonoured from 4 until 7 May.
A co-production between the Belgrade, Leicester’s Curve and Watford Palace Theatre, Wipers tells the story of the millions of South Asian soldiers who fought alongside the British in the Battle of Ypres. It visits B2 from 12 until 21 May.
Alan Ayckbourn fans will be treated to a night of classic comedy with Round and Round the Garden from 26 until 30 April. This will be followed by a return visit from London Classic Theatre Company with its new staging of Pinter’s The Birthday Party from 14 until 18 June.
The full programme is available at the Belgrade web site.