Adrian Dunbar has left fans over the moon after he was unveiled as the leading man in an upcoming stage musical of Kiss Me, Kate.
The BBC Line of Duty star is arguably best known for playing Superintendent Ted Hastings in the hit crime drama but his latest role represents a huge shift from the genre.
The 65-year-old will play Fred Graham in the musical which is scheduled to get underway at the Barbican in London this summer.
He'll star opposite experienced Broadway actor Stephanie J Block who'll take on the co-lead role of Lilli Vanessi.
News of his latest role comes while he films the latest season of another crime drama in the form of ITV series Ridley.
Ahead of his stint on stage, Dunbar has shared his thoughts on the ongoing debate surrounding the use of mobile phones by theatregoers during performances.
Adrian Dunbar as Ted Hastings in BBC drama Line of Duty
BBC
In recent months, the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch and Andrew Scott have hit headlines for publicly slamming the decision by some punters to use their devices mid-performance.
He said of the issue to The Times: "It is a strange modern phenomenon. Sometimes it’s people who haven’t been to the theatre before who just don’t get it. They don’t know about the fourth wall.
"They might think they’re watching TV and that they can step away from what’s happening. Whereas actually, the theatre is very much an engaged and a collective experience...
"If a couple of people decide to bow out of that concentration, it breaks the magic.
"People need to be reminded of that, and definitely told to switch off their phones," he stated.
Speaking of his excitement of the role, he also said in a separate statement, via What's On Stage: "I’m so delighted to be returning to the stage this summer to my spiritual home at the Barbican - where I started my career at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama – especially in this Cole Porter classic with the wonderful creative team including Bart Sher and Stephanie J Block. Summer 2024 just got a lot brighter!"
Tickets go on sale for Dunbar's musical debut later this week but given his words of warning, punters should be expected to leave their phones concealed.
But that hasn't put a number of Dunbar fans off seeing the show as many flooded X, formerly Twitter, with their excited reactions to the news.
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Adrian Dunbar will play the lead in the Barbican's production of Kiss Me, Kate
KISS ME KATE
"Would not have expected Adrian Dunbar to star in this! Interesting," one fan said of the casting.
A second weighed in: "YES!!! This is amazing - I love Adrian Dunbar and well SJB."
And a third used Ted Hastings' signature phrase as they added: "Jesus Mary Joseph and the wee donkey! I had no idea Adrian Dunbar did musicals!" (sic)
