John Partridge Will Star as Hannibal Lecter in World Premiere UK Tour of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

First casting has been announced for the upcoming UK and Ireland tour of The Silence of the Lambs, ahead of the global cultural phenomenon's world premiere play debut. The electrifying new production opens at Leicester's Curve theatre on Saturday, 01 August 2026.

British actor, singer, presenter, writer and director John Partridge, known for his long-running role as Christian Clarke in BBC 1's EastEnders and extensive range of West End credits from CATS to Everybody's Talking About Jamie, will don the iconic mask as the refined and sadistic Dr Hannibal Lecter.

When FBI trainee Clarice Starling is sent to interview the psychiatrist and infamous murderer Hannibal Lecter, it's hoped his brilliant mind will help catch the sadistic new serial killer, Buffalo Bill. Another girl is missing, and time is running out. But Dr Lecter has questions of his own, and now Clarice must decide: keep a safe distance, or let Hannibal ‘The Cannibal' into her head?

Acclaimed television writer and playwright Gina Gionfriddo (Law & Order (NBC), House of Cards (Netflix), Becky Shaw) brings Thomas Harris's gripping literary masterpiece to the stage in a new modern adaptation directed by Curve's Artistic Director, Nikolai Foster. Gionfriddo's theatrical adaptation delves into the psychological tension of Thomas Harris's landmark novel, drawing the audience deep into Clarice and Lecter's intelligent, intricate, and bone-chilling game of cat-and-mouse, as the FBI scramble to catch Buffalo Bill, a serial killer still at large.

John Partridge says of his casting in the upcoming tour ‘'How often does an actor get to play a role that by simply saying the character's name, it takes your breath away. It's a huge honour, and I intend to savour every morsel of it!''

Director Nikolai Foster adds: “Taking on a role like Hannibal Lecter requires real guts, tenacity and an appetite to confront the darkest depths of the human condition. Working with John on the role has been incredibly inspiring - his instincts are razor sharp - and there is no finer actor to bring to life Thomas Harris's most chilling creation in our world premiere stage adaptation.”

At just 16, John Partridge left college to join the original UK tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's CATS, later transferring to the West End production at the New London Theatre to star as Rum Tum Tugger. He reprised the role in the official filmed version opposite Elaine Paige and John Mills.

John's extensive West End, touring and international theatre credits include: Everybody's Talking About Jamie (Peacock Theatre); A Chorus Line (London Palladium); The Drowsy Chaperone (Novello Theatre); Notre-Dame de Paris (Dominion Theatre); The Fix (Donmar Warehouse), directed by Sam Mendes; Tommy (Shaftesbury Theatre); Grease (Dominion Theatre); Starlight Express (Apollo Victoria Theatre); The Hunting of the Snark (Prince Edward Theatre); Taboo 20th Anniversary Concert (London Palladium); The Witches of Eastwick in Concert (Sondheim Theatre); The Chalk Garden (Theatre Royal Windsor & Yvonne Arnaud Theatre); The Doncastrian Chalk Circle (National Theatre & CAST Doncaster); The Emcee in Cabaret (Rufus Norris production, UK tour); The View Upstairs (Soho Theatre); Rough Crossing (UK tour); The Case of the Frightened Lady (UK tour); La Cage Aux Folles (UK tour); Chicago (UK tour); The Tempest (Northcott Theatre); Miss Saigon (UK tour); Rent (European tour); Black Goes With Everything (Churchill Theatre, Bromley); Marilyn in Boy George's Taboo (The Venue); and most recently Billy Haynes in The Code (Southwark Playhouse Elephant).

On screen, John is widely known for his long-running role as Christian Clarke in EastEnders (BBC, 2007–2016). His screen work also includes Involuntary Activist (Iris Prize/BBC) and Cleopatra (Netflix).

A well-known television personality, John won Celebrity MasterChef (BBC) and has appeared on The Real Full Monty (ITV), Taking The Next Step (CBBC), Tumble (BBC) and Battlechefs with Marco Pierre White (Watch). He has also served as a celebrity judge on Over the Rainbow (BBC), guest-hosted The National Lottery Draws (BBC), and is a regular contributor on Jeremy Vine (Channel 5).

Tour Dates

August 1 – 15, 2026
Leicester, UK
Curve

August 18 – 22, 2026
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Theatre Royal

August 24 – 29, 2026
Glasgow, Scotland
Theatre Royal

September 1 – 5, 2026
Aberdeen, Scotland
His Majesty’s Theatre

September 8 – 12, 2026
Edinburgh, Scotland
Festival Theatre

September 15 – 19, 2026
Nottingham, UK
Theatre Royal

September 28 – October 3, 2026
Milton Keynes, UK
Milton Keynes Theatre

October 6 – 10, 2026
Salford, UK
The Lowry

October 12 – 17, 2026
Bradford, UK
Alhambra Theatre

October 19 – 24, 2026
Oxford, UK
New Theatre

October 27 – 31, 2026
Peterborough, UK
New Theatre

November 2 – 7, 2026
Hull, UK
Hull New Theatre

November 10 – 14, 2026
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Grand Opera House

November 24 – 28, 2026
Dublin, Ireland
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

January 5 – 9, 2027
Birmingham, UK
The Alexandra

January 11 – 16, 2027
Blackpool, UK
The Grand Theatre

January 18 – 23, 2027
Eastbourne, UK
Congress Theatre

January 26 – 30, 2027
Malvern, UK
Malvern Theatre

February 15 – 20, 2027
Swansea, UK
Grand Theatre

February 22 – 27, 2027
Chester, UK
Storyhouse Theatre

March 2 – 6, 2027
Brighton, UK
Theatre Royal

March 8 – 13, 2027
Tunbridge Wells, UK
Assembly Hall Theatre

March 15 – 20, 2027
York, UK
Grand Opera House

March 30 – April 3, 2027
Coventry, UK
Belgrade Theatre

April 6 – 10, 2027
Richmond, UK
Richmond Theatre

April 12 – 17, 2027
Cheltenham, UK
Everyman Theatre

April 20 – 24, 2027
Bournemouth, UK
Pavilion Theatre

April 26 – May 1, 2027
Wolverhampton, UK
Grand Theatre

May 10 – 15, 2027
Cardiff, UK
New Theatre

May 17 – 22, 2027
Buxton, UK
Opera House

May 31 – June 5, 2027
Woking, UK
New Victoria Theatre

June 15 – 19, 2027
Liverpool, UK
Empire Theatre