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Wish You Were Dead
12th June 2023 - 17th June 2023
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Following on from five hit stage shows and the new acclaimed ITV series, GRACE, the work of best selling author, Peter James returns with the world premiere stage adaptation of WISH YOU WERE DEAD.
When Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and Cleo Morey take their first holiday together, Cleo hopes that she will finally get Grace to herself for a few days and away from his crime solving exploits. But their dream escape turns out to be the holiday from hell, as the past comes back to haunt them.
Adapted exclusively for the stage, Wish You Were Dead is the next thrilling instalment of the most successful modern day crime stage franchise, since Agatha Christie.
Running time: 2 hours (including interval)
Photo credit: Dave Hogan
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Event Reviews
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The View from The Stalls
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Grace goes to France and immediately regrets it!
In the latest "Dead" play from Peter James to be staged, Wish You Were Dead has Roy Grace ditching his beloved Brighton for a holiday in the far more glamorous Chateau-sur-L'Eveque in France. At least that's what the property's website promised but then who believes Tripadvisor anyway? Certainly his wife Cleo did and booked it for their newborn baby and colleague Jack and his American girlfriend Kaitlynn. The main party turn up at the place rather later than anticipated to a welcome which could only be described as frosty, having missed out on a lunch which was supposedly prepared for them. Jack, travelling separately, does not appear to have arrived at all. Or even be contactable… Seemingly run solely by Madame L'Eveque and her elderly infirm father the Vicomte, the place has the air of a rundown hell-hole living in the past. No phone signal, no wifi, terrible road access and an electrical system which short circuits at the slightest opportunity. And a suit of armour likely to cut someone in half.
Brighton it ain't but it does serve as an intriguing alternative setting for a thriller which has plenty of twists and turns as Grace, instead of relaxing with his family, finds himself embroiled in a criminal family saga, his involvement in which goes back two decades and has just raised its ugly head again.
In this production, George Rainsford (from Casualty) plays Grace with Coronation Street's Katie McGlynn as his wife Cleo and the always-reliable Clive Mantle as Curtis, father figure of this English multi-generational clan. With Rebecca McKinnis as the Madame, Vince Mallet as the Vicomte (work that one out for yourself!) and Gemma Stroyan as girlfriend Kaitlynn, the main cast work well together as events unfold and the real culprits are revealed and banged to rights. Mantle in particular is excellent as the East End top dog, obviously thoroughly enjoying the chance to play the baddie here whilst also giving us quite a few laughs along the way. And the set gave the audience a few shocks too.
The location for the story is actually based on an overnight stay in France which Pater James endured with his family in 2018. Bienvenu en France? Not likely!
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Showtime! John Phillpott
This being the work of the endlessly inventive Peter James, the proceedings start off in a cosy, Agatha Christie sort of way, lulling you into a false state of relative calm.
The scene is a crumbling French chateau that reeks of polish and old books dust, the otherwise eerie silence being broken by bumps in the day as well as night, plus plenty of thunderclaps to remind you that this is indeed Spooksville.
And oh yes. The phone lines and internet are all down and the car won’t start. It ain’t looking too good, folks.
Naturally, police husband and wife Roy and Chloe Grace decide this revolting pile is the ideal location where they can spend a nice, relaxing, stress-free holiday, during which they can forget all about the pressures of collar-feeling. Best of luck with that one, guys.
James teases and plays with us for a while, knowing full well that we will have high expectations regarding that suit of armour standing in the hall, complete with a wicked looking halberd which probably last saw action at Agincourt, that well-known triumph for future Anglo-French relations.
So, when all this metalwork seems to spring into life, and the aforesaid skull slicer nearly decapitates the nearest person, we can be forgiven for thinking this is going to be a bit of a wheeze in the Christie tradition.
Yawn. Waiter, bring my nightly mug of Horlicks and a yummy dose of civilised crime – it must now be time to snuggle down under the duvet.
Wrong! For the trouble is that we are soon jolted wide awake as this dream vacation rapidly goes pectorals prone. For a start, the acidic Madame L’Eveque (Rebecca McKinnis), seemingly speaking through a mouthful of angry wasps, is not all the Gallic shoulder-shrugger she at first appears to be. Mais si monsieur, au contraire mes amis.
Then there’s the sudden appearance in a wheelchair of a grumpy but apparently harmless old git who trundles out of the woodwork and seems to speak in tongues. Who he?
Well, not all he seems, so don't be fooled. For this mothball scented individual is in fact Curtis, the criminal from Hell, played with sub-zero iciness by Clive Mantle.
Curtis is rather unpleasant to say the least, an underworld denizen who has less compassion than an anaconda which has just decided that an indigenous South American fisherman would make the ideal lunch.
Curtis is truly appalling, although the rodent-esque Brent (Callum Sheridan-Lee) comes pretty close in the disgusting department, too. So, as you can see, Agatha Christie left the Malvern Theatres building quite some time ago.
Meanwhile, gun-toting psycho bitch L’Eveque struts about like some ghastly insect in her black leather pants, the distaff equivalent of Curtis. Having said that, I longed for her to put a bullet into the tiresome Kaitlynn Carter, played with unremitting but wonderful squeakiness by Gemma Stroyan. Was my wish granted? See the play to find out.
Yet despite all this aggro, the Grace double act of Roy and Cleo never really falters, thanks to the essentially cool portrayals of the characters by George Rainsford and Katie McGlynn, even if the latter does appear at times to be afflicted with St Vitus Dance, such is her incessant, nervous foot-tapping.
There again, we shouldn’t forget that their lives are on the line, the criminals who have taken them hostage determined to get their pound of flesh.
But whereas Mrs Grace understandably gets flaky at times, not so with her husband, whose chisel-jawed persona never once breaks sweat.
Mind you, he probably knows he’s ultimately going to be all right, knowing that he’s bound to be down to appear in the next Peter James blockbuster.
Talking of which, James is, of course, the supreme master of suspense, and Wish You Were Dead certainly ticks all the boxes as far as I’m concerned.
There’s just the right amount of utter beastliness to keep you on the edge of your seat but that's laced with enough black humour to break the tension.
Crisply directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, this is truly the work of a thriller writer at the top of his game. Not to be missed.
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Weekend Notes - Alison Brinkworth
A new instalment of Peter James's popular Roy Grace thrillers is premiering on stages across the UK. This time it's much closer to home for the detective as his holiday in France goes awry.
I caught Wish You Were Dead at Malvern Theatres , where it stays for a week until Saturday June 17. As usual, there's a cast of familiar celebrity faces including Casualty's Clive Mantle but there's also Katie McGlynn from Coronation Street and George Rainson from Holby City, pictured above.
Rainson is the latest new face to have a go at playing DI Grace in this new UK tour following on from actors like Gray O'Brien and now more famously John Simm in ITV's version, Grace. There's been five of these hit stage shows so far and Rainson impresses, hitting the right note with Grace - measured, serious, quietly intelligent and not particularly gung-ho.
This latest drama moves Grace's own story on further still as he's now had a baby with pathologist Cleo Morey, played by McGlynn. They are taking their first holiday together as a family along with their American nanny Kaitlynn, so what could possibly go wrong?
I can almost see author Peter James chuckling to himself as he penned everything he could throw at his iconic, troubled lead character.
The stage is set in a creepy French manor that would have made Agatha Christie proud. A knight in armour stands haphazardly in the hall, there's a creaking staircase and sinister paintings at every turn, along with a rude French maid.
Building on its creative sets from the past, Wish You Were Dead has a fine, intricate stage design by Michael Holt, who was also responsible for the staging in Not Dead Enough. It throws up different rooms, including one initially hidden from view. That allows the audience to be in on the secret of what's really going on ahead of DI Grace, building up the suspense further.
Director Jonathan O'Boyle creates plenty of tension in the first act as lack of phone signal, a missing guest and the isolation of the holiday home take their toll. Explosive revelations are saved for after the interval - that's when Clive Mantle takes centre stage.
The seasoned actor, pictured below and well known for everything from surgeon Mike Barratt in Casualty to Little John in Robin of Sherwood is a striking presence, towering above the rest of the cast but also a dominant acting force on stage.
He seems to be having a lot of fun with his beefy and somewhat cliched role; but it's all good fun and very entertaining in proper who-dunnit fashion. Amongst the suspects is also impressive Rebecca McKinnis stealing the limelight as wonderfully dour servant Madame L'Eveque and the chirpy Kaitlynn, played exuberantly by Gemma Stroyan.
While there's plenty of focus on Grace's personal relationship with Cleo, it doesn't take over from the crime plot or mystery in a nicely balanced story from the award-winning crime writer.
The Roy Grace theatre tours have now become "the most successful modern-day crime stage franchise since Agatha Christie", according to the promoter, but you can see why fans keep coming back for more.
James knows his audience well and doesn't disappoint. Wish You Were Dead is a gripping, jaunty thriller and another satisfying Roy Grace theatre instalment from a superb master of crime.
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British Theatre Guide - Colin Davison
Detective Superintendent Roy Grace has taken time off with wife Cleo to enjoy a holiday with babysitting friends, having booked into a remote country house in rural France.
But something is amiss in designer Michael Holt’s Chateau-sur-L’Eveque with its animal heads, flickering lights, dodgy plumbing and a possibly inhabited, unstable suit of armour with enormous halberd. Cue thunderclap.
No-one seems to be at home, the telephone doesn’t work, there’s no Internet and Roy’s car is mysteriously disabled. Cue another thunderclap. Berlioz’s dies irae blares out on an old record player and an eerie knocking comes from above. Cue... oh, never mind.
There’s something fishy too about that stroppy French maid, who has prepared we know not what for lunch. In any case, the plot already has more stock ingredients than a bouillabaisse.
Add, however, your jolly psychopathic killer and the mixture comes to the boil after the interval in the latest Det. Supt. Grace thriller from Peter James, adapted by Shaun McKenna.
George Rainsford is the cool Roy ‘We have to outsmart them’ Grace, with ex-Corrie star Katie McGlynn as a vibrant Cleo. But Clive Mantle revels in cheerful villainy as vengeful gangster Curtis. I loved the line when he says of the Graces' crying baby (spoiler alert): "I’m not taking him up to the golf club for Sunday lunch if he’s going to behave like that."
Gemma Stroyan personifies the attitudes of American-in-quaint-France babysitting friend Kaitlynn and Rebecca McKinnis transmogrifies from the maid welcoming guests with the warmth of a frozen frog’s leg, to a slightly more sympathetic... Well, that would be telling too much.
It's hokum but fun. We learn, en passant, that one of the wily detective’s previous triumphs was known as ‘The Case of the Master of Disguise’. We are watching a bit of a send-up. Aren’t we?
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Martin
I went to the Malvern Theatre to watch this play last night with my partner. I’m sorry but it was like watching an amateur production. It got to the interval and I said to myself ‘I hope it gets better in the second half’. It didn’t, the acting was just awful.
It was the opening night at the Malvern Theatre, so maybe they need time to gel. But to pay £70.00 I was left disappointed -
Fairy Powered Productions - Courie Amado Juneau
Peter James’s Wish You Were Dead is the latest installment following Detective Roy Grace’s adventures. This time Grace is taking a deserved holiday with his wife and a couple of friends at what promises to be an idyllic French chateau. But things don’t turn out exactly as they had hoped…
The curtains open to a beautiful set. Run down yet sumptuous, with an impressive use of space and perspective to create the impression of grandeur.
Soon Grace (George Rainsford), his wife Cleo (Katie McGlynn) and their friend Kaitlynn Carter (Gemma Stroyan) arrive at the chateau on this (naturally) dark and stormy night. A backdrop familiar enough to movie and theatre goers that it was (cleverly) alluded to in the script. A nice touch. Our friends make a likeable traveling party and Cleo and Roy a believable couple – fine acting and chemistry from all involved.
Soon the French maid Madame L’Eveque appears, played suitably off kilter by Rebecca McKinnis. Like the house, there is something unsettling about her and she conveys a mood of impending menace you can’t quite put your finger on (or is it your imagination). Wonderfully nuanced, Rebecca was a delight. Clive Mantle’s reveal (as Curtis) was very well handled, producing a delicious surprise… He too was perfectly cast and held me spellbound with his characterization. The direction was fast paced yet with room to breathe so it felt natural; all credit to Director Jonathan O’Boyle and Stage Adaptor Shaun McKenna. I’ll mention here that the piece is jumpy. More than once I saw fellow attendees leave their seats only to return to them chuckling at their nervousness. There’s a nicely judged ramping up of the tension, leaving the first half on a cliff hanger, making us anticipate the second half enormously…
Act 2 is where the fun begins, at least for the baddies as it turns into a war of attrition, revenge, plot and sub plot. Oh what tangled webs we weave… and there’s plenty of weaving going on, believe me! The baddies are very much as you’d expect – think the Krays (are there no baddies whose accents aren’t like extras from Eastenders?). And others arrive who may not have much stage time but do a fine job with the limited lines they have. Everyone shines brightest in the second half as the tension grows. Bravo to all the cast. There’s an ingenious escape twist and an ending which hangs in the air (was it true or ruse…). Again, in anticipation that you will want to see the play, I won’t give anything away.
I was totally unfamiliar with this series of books/films so came at the work as a standalone piece. That didn’t matter since tonight’s stage play works on its own merits and has enough exposition to explain events fully on the evening. I found it extremely enjoyable and gripping and would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good drama or crime caper. I’m already looking forward to the next installment.
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Stage Talk Magazine - Tony Clarke
Widely regarded as the UK’s most successful crime writer since Agatha Christie, the popularity of Peter James, and his bestselling “Grace” mysteries, has soared in recent years. With James having twice served as Chair of the UK Crime Writers Association, it is perhaps easy to understand why. ITV were quick to exploit James’ burgeoning reputation with their acclaimed TV adaptation, with Shaun McKenna having previously adapted five of James’ novels for the stage. “Wish You Were Dead” is his sixth, and what fun it is too…
More of a ‘whydunnit’ than a ‘whodunnit’, this latest theatrical offering featuring Detective Superintendent Roy Grace follows a successful and slightly predictable formula….but does so to great effect. The very recognisable George Rainsford, most familiar to us from BBC’s “Casualty”, turns in an engaging and believable performance as James’ detective with a mysterious past as he and his pathologist wife, Cleo, and young son Noah, are unwittingly drawn into a perilous trap in a remote French chambre d’hôte, Château L’Eveque.
The muted colours, inscrutable faces and stylistic design of the show’s publicity materials hint at a darker and more sinister tale, especially for those unfamiliar with either the books or TV series, but in reality, the show was much more lighthearted, and much less taut, than I was expecting. Rainsford is supported admirably by Katie McGlynn (she of “Strictly”, “Hollyoaks” and “Coronation Street” fame) as his wife, who looks suitably shocked and scared in all the right places, and by the impressive Rebecca McKinnis as Madame L’Eveque. However, it is Clive Mantle who steals the show in Act Two, hamming it up delightfully as criminal patriarch Curtis, who plans to wreak his revenge on the unsuspecting Grace and his family.
Designer Michael Holt has produced a well-appointed, versatile and visually impressive set, which successfully conveys three different settings within Château L’Eveque without the need for a single set-change. The show willingly embraces several predictable tropes of the mystery genre – the isolated house, the persistent rain outside, the stuffed animal heads, the suit of armour – to ensure generic expectations are all fulfilled, while the excellent use of lighting and sound combine to guarantee plenty of unexpected surprises to keep us on our toes.
“Wish You Were Dead” is far from a taut, psychological thriller, but it is enormous fun, without descending into farce, and at the same time it provides just enough intrigue and suspense to keep the play interesting and engaging for its audience. What it may lack in innovation and originality, it more than makes up for in its energy, gung-ho enthusiasm and the strong performances of its cast. Director Jonathan O’Boyle has delivered a show which unashamedly employs a tried and tested formula: it all feels comfortably familiar…..and yet this is sometimes exactly what we want, and need, from a mystery; to feel safe in the knowledge that, somehow, our protagonist will prevail, good will – as expected – triumph over evil, order will be restored, and the world will once again be safer for us all. In the uncertain times in which we live, perhaps we need stories like this more than ever. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle knew this. Agatha Christie knew this. Peter James certainly knows this.
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John
Talk about "after the Lord Mayor's show!". Following the brilliance of last week's "The Verdict" we have this complete and utter dross. A lazy script that Ernie Wise would have disowned overlaid with some utterly dreadful acting. Even that fine actor, Clive Mantle, managed to close Act 1 with his very best panto villain routine. What happened in Act 2, I neither know nor care. My worst half night at Malvern in years.
