Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch will open its Spring 2023 season with the world premiere of Ian Rankin and Simon Reade’s Rebus: A Game Called Malice.
This exciting on stage exclusive is produced by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in association with Daniel Schumann and Lee Dean. It plays from 2 – 25 February2023.
Playing the lead role of John Rebus is John Michie, best known for his roles as DI Robbie Ross in STV’s Taggart, as Karl Munro in ITV’s Coronation Street and as Guy Self in BBC One’s Holby City.
Michie will be joined by Rebecca Charles (The Dresser, Theatre Royal Bath and The Father, Duke of York Theatre, Wyndham’s Theatre); Billy Hartman (best known for playing the part of Terry Woods on ITV’s Emmerdale); Emily Joyce (best known for playing Janet Dawkins in BBC One’s My Hero); Forbes Masson (best known for his classical theatre roles and comedy partnership with Alan Cumming – The High Life, BBC Two); and Emma Noakes (best known for BBC One’s Call The Midwife and leading roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company).
A splendid dinner party concludes with a game created by the hostess. A murder in a stately home needs to be solved. Suspects, clues and red herrings await… but the dinner-party guests have secrets of their own, threatened by the very game they are playing. And among them is Inspector John Rebus. True crime is his calling – is he playing an alternative game, one to which only he knows the rules? There is danger with every twist and turn – and a shocking discovery will send this game called Malice hurtling towards a gasp-inducing conclusion.
Rebus: A Game Called Malice will be directed by the award-winning Robin Lefevre (who has worked extensively in the UK, Ireland and the United States); designed by Terry Parsons (who has designed 37 productions in London’s West End including Grease, Dominion Theatre and Singin’ In The Rain, The London Pallladium); with lighting design by Matthew Eagland (The Life I Lead, Park Theatre and Wyndham’s Theatre); and joining them is composer and sound designer Garth McConaghie (Derry Girls, Channel 4).
Writer Ian Rankin says: “I’m thrilled that audiences can experience an all-new Rebus story at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch. This is as twisty and fun a tale as I’ve ever spun. With a cracking cast, it promises to be a dynamite night at the theatre!”
John Michie, playing Rebus says: “This play dives into an Edinburgh social scene that I know well and doesn’t come up for air for two hours of intrigue, tension and drama. I cannot wait to get stuck into the mind of John Rebus and the effortless, electric writing of Ian Rankin and Simon Reade.”
