Peter Amory is working his way through one of the biggest scripts he has ever seen. He has joined Ian Dickens cast for his adaptation of Signpost to Murder, which will be on stage at The Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage. Peter said: At the moment it

Peter Amory is working his way through "one of the biggest scripts" he has ever seen.

He has joined Ian Dickens' cast for his adaptation of Signpost to Murder, which will be on stage at The Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage.

Peter said: "At the moment it's very hard work and I've got a big script to get through.

"But it's going well and I'm really looking forward to getting on stage."

Peter is probably best known for his television work, and came to national prominence in Emmerdale, as the show's millionaire bad boy Chris Tate.

But the 45-year-old, who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts says he is at home in front of the cameras and on stage.

"I enjoy working in the theatre - it's truly exhilarating. Ideally I like a mix of the two.

"I do get more nerves doing theatre work.

"Television protects actors, and you can do take after take.

"But in the theatre, if something goes wrong everybody knows about it."

Signpost to Murder is one of three spring plays from Ian Dickens, and follows the path of a man who after escaping from a mental institution for murdering his wife, has 28 days to try to get a retrial.

Peter, who plays fugitive killer Roy Collier, said: "He is a very interesting character and is probably one of the most challenging roles I've played.

"You never quite know if he's guilty or not - I still haven't worked it out!"

The Norwich-born actor leads an impressive cast, that includes another former Emmerdale favourite Nicola Wheeler, and Tony Scannell and Tony O'Callaghan, who starred in The Bill.

Nicola wasn't the only familiar face on set, as this is the third time that Peter has worked with Ian Dickens, joining his team for Trap For A Lonely Man and Jane Eyre.

In fact, Ian Dickens earmarked him for the role of Roy a long time ago.

Peter said: "It's very flattering. They thought of me for the role and it's nice to be considered like that.

"They said they felt I was right for the part, which I'm not sure is too much of a compliment because the character is a bit of a nutcase!"

Peter is certainly used to playing such characters - throughout his 15-year spell on Emmerdale his character Chris Tate was notorious for his nasty antics.

He said: "I thoroughly enjoyed my time, and it was fantastic to be part of such a hit show.

"It's nice to be off the treadmill, but I do miss the cast and crew - they were a lovely group."

Since he left the soap, Peter has also appeared in Casualty and Heartbeat, but said he was enjoying his time away from the screen.

He added: "I've been busy and there's a lot of things in the pipeline, but at the moment I'm concentrating on the play.

"I would say to anyone who wants a good night out to get themselves down.

"There's lots of twists and turns and it's a real roller coaster of ifs and buts, and I'll let them be the judge of whether I'm guilty or not."

- Signpost to Murder runs from February 27-March 3. Ticket prices range from £11.50-£16.50 and are available from the box office on 08700 131 030, or on-line at www.gordon-craig.co.uk