WORLD STAGE PLAY PREMIERE COMING TO BOURNEMOUTH PAVILION THEATRE IN 2027

Indigo Productions and Crossroads Live, in association with Curve, are thrilled to announce a new chapter in the legacy of The Silence of the Lambs, as the global cultural phenomenon prepares to make its world stage play premiere in 2026 with a tour date confirmed at the Bournemouth Pavilion April 2027. Acclaimed television writer and playwright Gina Gionfriddo (Law & Order (NBC), Rapture, Blister, Burn) brings Thomas Harris’ gripping literary masterpiece to the stage in a new modern adaptation directed by Nikolai Foster. This electrifying new production will open August 2026, ahead of a major UK and Ireland tour, which includes the iconic Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre.

When FBI trainee Clarice Starling is sent to interview the psychiatrist and infamous murderer Hannibal Lecter, it’s hoped his brilliant mind will help catch sadistic new serial killer, Buffalo Bill. Another girl is missing, and time is running out. But Dr Lecter has questions of his own, and now Clarice must decide: keep a safe distance, or let Hannibal ‘The Cannibal’ into her head?

Gina Gionfriddo’s theatrical adaptation delves into the psychological tension of Thomas Harris’ landmark novel, drawing the audience deep into Clarice and Lecter’s intelligent, intricate, and bone-chilling game of cat-and-mouse, as the FBI scramble to catch Buffalo Bill, a serial killer still at large. Gionfriddo’s screenwriting credits include Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC), Cold Case (CBS), House of Cards (Netflix) and The Alienist (Netflix). Her plays Becky Shaw and Rapture, Blister, Burn were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2009 and 2013, respectively.

Thomas Harris’ quartet of Lecter novels, Red Dragon (1981), The Silence of the Lambs (1988), Hannibal (1999) and Hannibal Rising (2006) have sold over 50 million copies worldwide and have influenced countless modern thrillers. Famed for his scalpel-sharp prose, Harris created in Hannibal Lecter an erudite and urbane serial killer who continues to fascinate the cultural imagination. Clarice Starling remains one of our most compelling fictional heroines — a woman who steps into the darkness to see justice served, armed with intellect, empathy, and unshakable resolve. Harris’ four novels have been adapted into multiple film and TV adaptations featuring acclaimed performances by Brian Cox, Anthony Hopkins, Mads Mikkelsen, Jodie Foster, Julianne Moore and directorial masterclasses by Jonathan Demme and Ridley Scott.

Nikolai Foster is Artistic Director at Curve, Leicester, one of the UK’s leading regional theatres, described as “world class” by The Daily Telegraph and a “powerhouse” by The Times. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Nikolai grew up in North Yorkshire and trained at Drama Centre London and at the Crucible, Sheffield. He has created work for many of the UK’s major producing theatres, touring houses and international venues. Nikolai has been director on attachment at the Sheffield Crucible, the Royal Court Theatre and National Theatre Studio and served as an Associate Director at Leeds Playhouse. In 2024, Nikolai was awarded an Honorary Doctor of the Arts by Leicester’s De Montfort University for his contribution to theatre in Leicester. At Curve, Nikolai has worked on numerous musical revivals, new plays, musicals and championed emerging artists. Many of the Made at Curve productions Nikolai has directed have transferred to London, toured the UK and internationally.

Playwright Gina Gionfriddo says: “Thomas Harris’ novel speaks so eloquently to the interior terrors that fuel his iconic characters - both the monsters and the heroes who slay them. What a privilege it has been to bring these stories to the stage.”

Director Nikolai Foster continues: "We’ve long wanted to present a Made at Curve thriller onstage in Leicester, and The Silence of the Lambs is surely the most electrifying and frightening of this genre. At the heart of this play is the remarkable relationship between Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter; through their gripping meetings, these two fascinating characters develop a compelling relationship. Harris’ novel is filled with stunning iconography and imagery that is ripe for theatrical invention. We can’t wait to see it burst to life onstage.”

Producers for Indigo Productions and Crossroads Live, James Lane and Ed McGovern conclude: “We are deeply honoured to have been entrusted with Thomas Harris’ seminal story and iconic characters. Gina and Nikolai have crafted something truly thrilling for the stage, and we cannot wait to welcome audiences into Hannibal Lecter’s cell to witness it first hand for the very first time.“

Full creative team and cast to be announced.

The Silence of the Lambs is produced by Indigo Productions and Crossroads Live in association with Curve.