HARRY Potter film star Oliver Phelps is to join the cast of Edgar Wallace's murder mystery The Case Of The Frightened Lady.

On tour from late-May, the Classic Thriller Theatre Company production plays the Grand Opera House, York, from July 9 to 14 and Leeds Grand Theatre from July 23 to 28.

Phelps will be making his stage debut as Sergeant Totti, having played George Weasley throughout the Harry Potter franchise from the age of 15, when he was cast with his twin brother James in the mischievous roles of Ron's older brothers.

He has appeared too in a fictionalised biopic of Lenny Henry’s life, Danny And The Human Zoo, and the television series Kingdom with Stephen Fry. Alongside him on the road will be Deborah Grant, from the BBC's Not Going Out, in the role of Lady Lebanon, plus Gray (CORRECT) O'Brien, Denis Lill, Philip Lowrie, April Pearson, Ben Nealon and Glenn Carter.

In Wallace's thriller, when Inspector Tanner is called in to investigate a ruthless murder at Mark’s Priory, the grand ancestral home of the Lebanon family, he quickly discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. The household is controlled by the family physician; the footmen behave more like guests than servants and the secretary, Isla, is afraid for her life. As Tanner moves closer to the heart of the mystery, he uncovers a shocking and closely guarded secret.

Phelps's co-star Deborah Grant made her stage debut at four and has performed in many West End and national touring productions, not least starring opposite Michael Crawford in Barnum at the London Palladium. Gray O'Brien portrayed villainous businessman Tony Gordon in ITV’s Coronation Street and Dr Richard McCaig on the BBC medical drama Casualty; Denis Lill was Mr Rose in The Royal; Philip Lowrie played one of the original characters, Dennis Tanner, in Coronation Street from 1960 to 1968, returning to the soap opera from 2011 to 2014.

Ben Nealon, who starred as Lieutenant Forsythe in ITV's award-winning drama series Soldier Soldier, has become an Agatha Christie Company and Classic Thriller Company stalwart; April Pearson was Michelle Richardson in the BAFTA-winning Skins; Glenn Carter starred in the West End, on Broadway and on screen as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar and played Tommy DeVito in the London premiere of Jersey Boys.

The touring production uses a new stage adaptation by Antony Lampard, directed by Roy Marsden in his third Classic Thriller Theatre Company production, having overseen Rehearsal For Murder and A Judgement In Stone previously.

After a decade of success with the Agatha Christie Theatre Company, selling more than two million tickets, impresario Bill Kenwright opened a new chapter with the Classic Thriller Theatre Company, whose shows visit the Grand Opera House regularly.

York tickets for The Case Of The Frightened Lady are on sale on 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york; Leeds, 0844 848 2700 or leedsgrandtheatre.com.

Did you know?

Edgar Wallace wrote the initial 110-page draft for the original film of King Kong over five weeks in 1931-1932, as well as more than 150 detective novels.