Dr. Hannibal Lector would like a quiet word. He – and ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ – is coming to the Theatre Royal in Newcastle this August.

A lot of theatres fill their programmes with family-friendly fare over the summer months. ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ isn’t such a production. Based on Thomas Harris’s gripping novel, it stars John Partridge (Eastenders) as Dr. Hannibal Lecter – the most notorious serial killer in all of literature. The gist? When FBI trainee Clarice Starling interviews Lecter, who is now behind bars, it’s hoped that his brilliant mind will help catch a new demented serial killer on the block – one Buffalo Bill. But does Clarice keep a safe distance, or does she let Hannibal ‘The Cannibal’ into her head. Pass the Chianti.

The Silence of the Lambs, 18-22 August, Theatre Royal, Newcastle, 7.30pm (mats Thurs 2pm & Sat 2.30pm), from £19, theatreroyal.co.uk