Thrills, Frills and Doing Time in Stevenage

The Gordon Craig Theatre has just announced its summer season of drama. This begins on 2 June with the new touring production by Ian Dickens of Write Me a Murder by Frederick Knott (he of Wait Until Dark and Dial 'M' for Murder fame). It's the story of two brothers who inherit the family fortune and a whole load of problems and stars Leslie Grantham and Christopher Villiers. It runs until 6 June.

Between 28 August and 5 September the new play by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais based on their popular television series Porridge is premiered by Calibre Productions. Shaun Williamson plays Fletch, banged up but not put down in Slade Prison in spite of all Warder Mackay's best efforts.

Then it's back to Ian Dickens for his now well-established autumn play season for the theatre. This opens on 15 September with Pools Paradise by Philip King, a follow-up to the author's , which tells of a vicar's wife who seemingly has won a large sum on the football pools. It runs until 19 September and is followed on 22 September by Francis Durbridge's Fatal Encounter. This production tours until April 2010.

it's a complicated thriller involving two friends, the wife of one, the ex-wife of the other and the wife of an MP. The season concludes from 29 September to 3 October with a rare revival of Joan Shirley's comedy The Tart and the Vicar's Wife with Bernie Nolan, Matt Healey and Marcus Hutton leading the cast. This also concerns a minister's wife and someone whose gambling flutter has paid big dividends.