Stephen Beckett has the ongoing role of Dr Matt Ramsden in Coronation Street and is probably best remembered for the storyline where he was having an affair with Maxine Peacock which resulted in a love child.

Maxine was later murdered by the infamous Richard Hillman so perhaps Beckett will bring his experience from that storyline to The Business fo Murder when he appears at the Grand.

His five year role as PC Mike Jarvis in The Bill should stand him in good stead too, as he plays a detective inspector in the play which also stars Nick Waring, probably best known for his roles as Hugh Manning in Doctors and most recently for Rixton in The Bill; and Jacqueline Roberts, also seen in The Bill and Grange Hill.

The play is a new venture for the Grand as it will be the first time in 50 years the theatre has hosted a production during the summer. It is hoped it will not only attract a local audience but also holidaymakers.

The Business of Murder is written by Richard Harris, whose work has been compared to such classics as Mousetrap and Sleuth.

The play is set in the early 1980s when Dee, a successful TV writer, arrives at the flat of a man named Stone, having accepted an invitation to discuss a script his wife has written.

She is rather surprised when Detective Inspector Hallet, with whom she is having an affair, also arrives, apparently to investigate a matter concerning Stone's son and his involvement with a drugs ring.
But where are his wife and son?

After many twists and turns, Stone's intentions become clear as he slowly reveals the precise nature of the trio's relationship.
It seems, in their own way, all three are very much concerned with the business of murder, and the play culminates in another perpetration of the crime.

The Business of Murder runs from July 21-26. To snap up your tickets priced £17.50/£16.50 (first night only all tickets £16.50), call the box office on 01524 64695.