Andrew Lancel leads an all-star cast in the Ruth Rendell classic, appearing at the Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne from Monday 27th February to Saturday 4th March. The play then continues on it’s national tour, but returns to the region to appear at the Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells from 15th May to 20th May and at The Hawth, Crawley from 22nd May to 27th May.
From producer Bill Kenwright, and building from the huge success of the Agatha Christie Theatre Company, comes this star-studded and sumptuously set production which is directed by Roy Marsden and adapted from one of the most celebrated works of the writer often hailed as the successor to Agatha Christie.
Eunice struggles to fit in. When she joins a wealthy family as their housekeeper the very reason for her awkwardness, long hidden and deeply buried, leads inexorably to a terrible tale of murder in cold blood – on Valentine’s Day. Ruth Rendell’s brilliant plot unravels a lifetime of deceit, despair and cover-ups which, when revealed, brings a shocking revelation almost as grizzly as murder itself.
Rendell was first published in 1964 and was awarded a CBE in 1996. Her prolific output included film and TV as well as 80 novels and one of the genre’s most famous characters, Chief Inspector Wexford. Widely considered to be one of Rendell’s greatest works, A Judgement in Stone is loved for its brilliant rendering of character, plot and motive, and is undoubtedly Rendell at her thrilling best.
The play features Andrew Lancel, best known for his portrayal of villainous business man Frank Foster in Coronation Street, winning Villain of the Year in the British Soap Awards, and as DI Neil Manson in The Bill. Other cast members are Sophie Ward (Young Sherlock Holmes, Heartbeat), 60’s Pop-idol Mark Wynter and Deborah Grant (Not Going Out, Bergerac). Movie icon Shirley Anne Field, who’s career includes playing opposite Sir Laurence Oliver in The Entertainer and Steve McQueen and Robert Wagner in The War Lover, Antony Costa, who shot to fame in boy band Blue and last appeared at the Congress Theatre last year in Save the Last Dance for Me and Ben Nealon (Soldier Soldier) also appear in the production.
The piece is directed by Roy Marsden who many will recognise as Adam Dalgliesh in Anglia TV’s P.D. James series, which he played for 15 years. He has directed plays since he was 15 years old including successful West End runs.
The Ruth Rendell classic, A Judgement in Stone, appears at the Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne from Monday 27th February – Saturday 4th March. Tickets, priced from £17.50 to £25 are available to book by calling box office on 01323 412000 or online eastbournetheatres.co.uk. The play then appears at the Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells from 15th May to 20th May and at The Hawth, Crawley from 22nd May to 27th May.
