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The Queen's Favourite Literary Detective DSI Roy Grace is Back on Stage in the World Premiere and Major UK Tour of 'Picture You Dead'

We are excited to welcome another Peter James crime show to our stage with Picture You Dead!

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Having recently received the prestigious acclaim of being Her Majesty the Queen’s favourite literary Detective, Superintendent Roy Grace is back on stage in early 2025 in a brand new major six-month UK tour – Picture You Dead – adapted from the UK’s number one crime writer Peter James’ bestselling novel.   

Kicking off on 6 February 2025, 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. The tour will play at major theatres across the country until 26 July 2025. Tickets are on sale now from PeterJames.com.  

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 ITV’s critically acclaimed primetime drama about the Brighton-based detective, GRACE, is a ratings smash-hit. Season four of the crime series will broadcast later this year, with season five currently in production. 

Peter James said: From early childhood, I have always passionately loved live theatre and the sense of the shared experience that comes with it – surprise, suspense, shock, laughter and the entire range of human emotions.  With Josh Andrews’ brilliant producing, Shaun McKenna’s very clever adaptation and Jonathan O’Boyle’s masterly and inventive directing, I’m confident that Picture You Dead is going to be my best adaptation yet and I hope everyone who comes to see it will have a fantastic time!”  

Back home in Brighton, DSI Grace investigates a cold case that leads him to the rarified air of fine art, but beneath the respectable veneer lurks a dark underworld of greed, deception and murder.

When one unsuspecting couple unearth a potentially long-lost masterpiece, 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.

Peter James has 20 Sunday Times number one bestselling crime novels to his name. The world premiere tour of Picture You Dead marks the latest thrilling theatre adaptation of his books and is once again produced by Joshua Andrews and Peter James. Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, it cements the adaptations of James’ Grace books, as the most successful modern-day crime franchise on stage, since Agatha Christie.