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Picture You Dead has come to Norwich Theatre Royal, and you can catch this one until 5th April! Find out what we thought from the show on opening night.
About the show
Back home in Brighton, DSI Grace investigates a cold case that leads him to the secretive world of fine art, but beneath the respectable veneer lurks a dark underworld of deception and murder.
When one unsuspecting couple unearth a potentially priceless 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.
Starring 2024’s multiple award-winning actor Peter Ash (Coronation Street, War Horse), Fiona Wade, who starred this year in 2:22 A Ghost Story, following 12 years in Emmerdale, and with Casualty’s George Rainsford (Call the Midwife, 2:22 A Ghost Story) returning as DSI Roy Grace.
What we thought
Recently I’ve really gotten into crime and muder mysteries, something a bit different compared to my usual favourite of a musical. Picture You Dead is based on the Peter James novel, and although not one I’ve read, I was really looking forward to something different.
Picture You Dead is set around the world of fine art, with two normal people coming across a masterpiece at a car boot without realising. A painting that has been missing for hundreds of years draws attention, especially when the couple take it on a well-known TV show about antiques.
I really enjoyed the plot, especially as it was something different from anything I’ve ever seen. Instead of a murder mystery, you know exactly what is happening and to who, but there’s the ending to figure out along the way. There’s a fun mix between regular couple, Freya and Harry Kipling, professional ‘copier’ Dave, an art collector and his consultant and of course, the police.
Although a minimal set, Picture You Dead moves well between the Kipling’s home, Dave’s studio and the home of art collector Stuart Piper. Only a few locations are really needed in this play, and aside from the paintings, each set is quite simple. I like that there wasn’t big fancy sets to take away from the story.
Picture You Dead has such a great cast, and I think everyone fit really well in their roles. There’s quite a mix of personalities, which I really liked. Freya and Harry are your average couple, just working to pay the bills and going from one day to the next, art collector Stuart Piper is a bit camp and over the top, while DSI Roy Grace clearly loves his job and won’t stop until he has figured everything out.
As a crime play though, I wanted more from DSI Roy Grace (George Rainsford) and his partner Bella May (Gemma Stroyan). Every now and again they would pop up and have a chat together, or with one of the characters but I felt like they were outshon every single time.
On the other hand, the likes of Peter Ash as Dave Hegarty, Jodie Steele as Roberta and Nicholas Maude as Stuart Piper were fantastic. Peter Ash especially had a strong presence on stage, and I could have watched him all day. He really brought life to that character, and as someone with a bit of past, made him likeable and fun.
Somethign fun to see was the way that Freya and Harry (Fiona Wade and Ben Cutler) changed because of the painting. The stress of even owning the painting was a lot but then deciding what to do in certain circumstances played a big part for them, as I’m sure it would for me if I was in their position.
Picture You Dead is a great play if you’re new to crime at the theatre, and one if you’re a fan of Peter James. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would definitely go and see something similar in the future.
Picture You Dead Tour dates can be found here: https://www.peterjames.com/plays/picture-you-dead-tour-dates/