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Full casting has been announced for the world premiere production of the spine-chilling stage play The House on Cold Hill, adapted from the best-selling 2015 novel of multi-million selling author Peter James. Touring to Worthing's Connaught Theatre from Monday 3 to Saturday 8 June; an extra matinee has just been added due to overwhelming demand.
Based on the author's own real-life experience in a haunted house, the play will star the previously announced, BAFTA nominated actor and winner of BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing 2017, Joe McFadden (The Crow Road, Heartbeat, Holby City) as 'Ollie Harcourt' and joining him, as his wife 'Caro Harcourt', will be award winning actress Rita Simons, (Eastenders iconic Roxy Mitchell). As well as award winning actors, Charlie Clements 'Chris', and Persephone Swales-Dawson as 'Jade'.
In Peter's ghostly mystery, the Harcourt family move into the house of the dreams that has been empty for the last forty years. However, their dream home quickly turns into the stuff of nightmares, as they begin to sense that they aren't the only residents at Cold Hill...
The House on Cold Hill is a modern-day ghostly thriller that will send shivers down your spine and make you think twice about returning home to a dark, empty house after the show!The House on Cold Hill becomes the fourth play in his box office smash hit and critically acclaimed stage franchise following the huge sell-out success of Not Dead Enough, The Perfect Murder and Dead Simple on stage. Nearly half a million fans have now seen his work on stage in 30 cities across the UK and Ireland.The House on Cold Hill will reunite Peter James with two-time Olivier-nominated theatre producer Joshua Andrews, the Olivier award winning director Ian Talbot and award-winning writer Shaun McKenna. The production is designed by Michael Holt, with lighting design by Jason Taylor, sound design by Martin Hodgson, video and production design by Nina Dunn and Matthew Brown, and original music by Nicholas Lloyd Webber.
Peter James - author of the award-winning Det Supt Roy Grace series - has been acclaimed as 'one of the most fiendishly clever crime fiction plotters' (Daily Mail) and his brilliant international bestselling novels have been published in 37 languages and sold over 19 million copies worldwide. Earlier this year, the acclaimed author hit No. 1 again in the UK book charts for the 13th consecutive time, with his latest page-turner, Dead If You Don't.
BAFTA nominated actor Joe McFadden is perhaps best known for playing series regular 'Raf di Lucca in BBC1's Holby City from 2014 - 2017, and as 'P C Joe Mason' in Heartbeat from 2010 - 2014. Other acclaimed TV roles include Sex, Chips and Rock n Roll, The Crow Road (for which he received a BAFTA nomination), Cranford and Take The High Road. His extensive theatrical credits include working with John Tiffany and the National Theatre of Scotland on The Missing, touring the UK with Alan Ayckbourn's Haunting Julia, Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Rent at the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End and Rainbow Kiss at the Royal Court. Last year he partnered with Katya Jones in BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing and captured the nations hearts, eventually winning the series to become the 2017 Strictly Champion.
Rita Simons is best known for playing 'Roxy Mitchell' in BBC's EastEnders, and is one of Britain's best loved TV actresses. She won Most Popular Newcomer at the National Television Awards and other awards and nominations include Best Newcomer at the Digital Spy Soap Awards, Best Onscreen Partnership for her character partnership with Ronnie Mitchell played by Samantha Womack, Best Newcomer at the TV Now awards, a nomination for Best Newcomer at the British Soap Awards and Best Newcomer at the Inside Soap Awards. Rita has also appeared as Hannah in Mile High, Julie in Dream Team and recently toured the UK and Ireland as Paulette Bonafonte in hit musical Legally Blonde. In Spring 2012, Rita was the subject of a major documentary film Rita Simons: My Daughter, Deafness and Me made by Leopard Films for primetime BBC1. Rita actively supports the charity RNID. Most recently Rita rave reviews for her performance as 'Lisa Prescott' in the film The Krays: Dead Man Walking, an untold chapter from the notorious legend of the Kray Twins.
Charlie Clements starred in EastEnders from 2006 - 2010, winning several awards for his performance as 'Bradley Manning'. Since leaving the soap, stage and screen credits include the UK tour of The Haunting, Faith at the Courtyard Theatre, and roles in Casualty and The Bill.
Persephone Swales-Dawson played serial killer 'Nico Blake' in Channel 4's Hollyoaks from 2014-16, and returned in 2018. She won Best Bad Girl at the Inside Soap Awards in 2016. The House on Cold Hill marks her professional stage debut.
Tickets for The House On Cold Hill are priced from £31.00 and are available to purchase from the Worthing Theatres box office on 01903 206 206 and online at worthingtheatres.co.uk.
