John Partridge lands Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs
john partridge will play Hannibal Lecter in a new stage adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs, with the tour opening at Leicester's Curve Theatre on 1 August. It is a world premiere that will travel across the UK and Ireland before ending at Sunderland's Empire Theatre on 26 June, 2027.
Curve Theatre on 1 August
Partridge said, "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!" That puts him at the center of a production built around one of the most recognisable names in modern thriller fiction, with Gina Gionfriddo writing the script from Thomas Harris' book.
The opening at Leicester's Curve Theatre gives the production a home base for its world premiere, then sends it on the road across two countries. For audiences buying early, the practical detail is simple: the first stop is Leicester, and the final stop is Sunderland, with the rest of the route still to be filled in by the touring schedule.
Nikolai Foster directs Lecter
Nikolai Foster, Curve's artistic director, is directing the production and said, "Taking on a role like Hannibal Lecter requires real guts, tenacity, and an appetite to confront the darkest depths of the human condition." He also said, "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."
That pairing matters because the team is still incomplete: the full creative team and further casting details are yet to be announced. For now, the project is leaning on a lead casting choice and a director who already has a strong view of what Lecter needs on stage.
26 June, 2027 finish
The tour ending at Sunderland's Empire Theatre on 26 June, 2027 gives the production a long runway, and that matters for anyone tracking where the adaptation will land next. With the script, director, and lead now set, the remaining news will be who joins Partridge and how quickly those additional names arrive.
