Billed as ‘The Most Scandalous Thriller Of The Year’, Red Entertainments Dead Lies, written by No.1 Best Selling Crime Novelist Hilary Bonner, will receive its world premiere this Spring opening at The Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple (14-16 April) prior to a UK Tour.
Dead Lies is a political thriller inspired by the Jeremy Thorpe scandal of the 1970’s set against the political backdrop of current day Westminster. In this fast-moving, hard-hitting political English thriller the action takes place during a fiercely fought election campaign, following Peter George, a politician who promises a new kind of politics beyond sleaze and spin. He is welcomed as a messiah by the British public and expected to restore trust in a broken political system. But a shocking secret lies in the past of our country’s hero. As buried truths rise from the ashes, personal and political influences begin to shake the faith of those closest to him, and a media cascade threatens to bring down Britain’s new saviour.
Making an eagerly awaited return to the stage is Hollyoaks and Holby City actor Jeremy Edwards who plays would be Prime Minister Peter George.
Jeremy Edwards said: “Joining the cast of Dead Lies is a phenomenal opportunity for me. It has that rare combination of the right script at the right time. I have been waiting for such a strong piece of drama to come along for quite some time. Not only because it is sexy, scandalous and mysterious it is incredibly on point, I’m delighted”.
Joining Jeremy on stage will be Alicia Charles (Coronation Street, Holby City) who plays Kate Compton, Press Secretary to Peter George. Kate is to Peter what Alistair Campbell was to Tony Blair and Dominic Cummings to Boris Johnson. Portia Booroff (Doctors, EastEnders) as Peter’s devoted wife Jo George, and Claire Dyson, fresh from appearing opposite Liam Neeson in Made In Italy, as ex-supermodel Stephanie Jones. Making his UK tour debut is George Verghis in the role of Peter George’s Campaign Manager James Gillen.
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Dead Lies is directed by directed by the critically acclaimed Joe Harmston who said: “Hilary does that rare thing writing a thriller for the stage: like Agatha Christie, she puts psychology first, making Dead Lies the best sort of whodunnit”
The parallels between the real-life scandal that saw Barnstaple MP Jeremy Thorpe disgraced and stripped of his leadership in the 70’s and the fiction of Dead Lies are plain to see. It’s no artistic coincidence that North Devon culture heavily influences the script, a natural choice for writer Hilary Bonner who was born and raised there, prior to embarking on her illustrious career in Fleet Street where she reported on the Thorpe scandal. The opening night of Dead Lies will see Bonner’s theatrical journey turn full circle as her first experience of live theatre was as a small child sat in the stalls at the Queen’s.
