POPULAR television and stage actor Jonathan Wrather, who has featured in several leading soap operas, will be starring locally next month in the haunting play, The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Wrather, who played the controversial character Pierce Harris in ITV’s Emmerdale for two years, has also featured as Joe Carter in Coronation Street, as well as parts in Silent Witness and Casualty.

He also has extensive stage and film credits and will be taking the part of Lord Henry Wotton.

The cast also includes Gavin Fowler in the titular role of Dorian Gray, alongside Daniel Goode as Basil Hallward, Kate Dobson as Sybil Vane, Adele James in the roles of Catherine Vane and Ellen Campbell and Phoebe Pryce as Lady Victoria Wotton.

They will all be in Tilted Wig Productions' new exciting and bold presentation of the Oscar Wilde’ classic, which is being co-produced with Malvern Theatres and Churchill Theatre, Bromley.

It will be showing in Malvern’s Festival Theatre for five days from Tuesday to Saturday, May 7 to 11 as part of its national Spring tour.

The play celebrates Wilde's wonderful language and will appeal to audiences old and new telling the story of a cultured, wealthy, and beautiful young man's downfall through moral corruption and seduction.

Dorian, who, fearing that his good looks would fade as he grows old, wishes that a portrait painted of him could bear the burden of the ageing process, leaving him forever young.

But at what cost...?

Featuring Wilde’s famous wit and a stellar cast, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a fast-paced thriller that promises to keep its audiences on the edge of their seats right up until the final scenes of the play.

Katherine Senior of Tilted Wig Productions says: “The Picture of Dorian Gray will be the 21st show that Matthew and I have taken out on the road.

"We produced 19 shows for Creative Cow over its 10 years existence and now, under the banner of Tilted Wig, this will be our second production, following on from the success of Great Expectations last year.

“We hope audiences will enjoy our classic re-telling of this famous novel as it still has such resonance with our modern day lives and with its utter timelessness should feel bang up to date."

She continued: ‘We have a great tour lined up with some fantastic venues. Another first is to be producing this show with Churchill Theatre in Bromley, alongside Malvern Theatres, with whom we produced Great Expectations last year. We are thrilled to be working with these two theatres and welcoming our guest star Jonathan Wrather, to bring this timeless thriller to the regions’.

Tickets are on sale at the Box Office 01684 892277 and online at malvern-theatres.co.uk.