Ian Rankin says Corrie star will be great as his famous detective in new play

REBUS writer Ian Rankin admits the latest actor to star as his famous detective will need to crack the accent before the case.

Coronation Street star Charles Lawson, from Northern Ireland, will play the Edinburgh detective in a new stage version and author Ian is certain he will nail the role.

Lawson, best known as Weatherfield’s Jim McDonald, will follow in the footsteps of John Hannah and Ken Stott by playing the hard-bitten Capital case-cracker.

“Charles was mooted and I thought I would get a few comments from Scottish fans, because he’s from Northern Ireland,” said Ian.

“The play’s producer and Rona Munro, who I’ve written the story with, had seen him on stage and both said he was terrific. He is an actor and actors can do voices, plus he’s worked in Scotland before and everyone is sure he can do it.

“He has the physical presence needed and he can certainly act like Rebus would act. Plus he’s a big name – people who might not like Rebus but enjoy a night at the theatre will see Charlie Lawson is in it and might come along.

“There have been so many incarnations of the character – two on television, and many more doing the audiobooks and radio – so he isn’t set in stone. Every actor brings something different to the role, which is interesting to me as the writer. Of course, I have my own version of Rebus in my head.

“So far, people have said it’s good casting and I haven’t heard anyone say they think it’s strange or odd.”

Ian has yet to meet the 58-year-old actor due to their busy schedules.

“We’ve tried a few times but it’s not happened as of yet,” he continued. “I’m going down to Birmingham, where the play opens, next month and I have tickets for the first night in Edinburgh, too – my wife surprised me with tickets for my birthday.”

Ian co-wrote his first stage play for The Lyceum in Edinburgh a few years ago, but hadn’t considered returning to that medium until he was approached by a producer.

“He was passionate about seeing Rebus in three-dimensional form and wanted to put the character on stage,” 58-year-old Ian explained.

“We thought it would be too complex to adapt one of the novels, so decided to make it an original piece. I said it would be helpful to have a playwright write it with me and I’ve been a big fan of Rona Munro for years, so I was overjoyed when he suggested her.

“I’d never met her, but once we did we started bouncing some ideas around.

“It’s a story we think works best on stage. It’s still Rebus in retirement, so it’s the character current readers are familiar with.

“It’s a slightly parallel universe to the recent books, but it’s also been written so that people who don’t know the universe can still enjoy it.”

While movement on the previously reported revival of the TV series hasn’t advanced much – it’s still being worked on by a screenwriter – Rebus will be returning in his original format in October, when the 22nd novel in the series, In A House Of Lies, will be released.

In the meantime, dad-of-two Ian is being kept busy with multiple appearances at the Edinburgh Book Festival – including an unlikely musical appearance last Monday.

Ian is lead singer with Best Picture, whose members include The Bluebells guitarist Bobby Bluebell, famous for 1980s hits including Young At Heart.