A Dallas TV legend will be swapping the Southfork ranch for Cambridge Arts Theatre this month for a gripping mystery.

Patrick Duffy, who played Bobby Ewing in the hit primetime American TV soap in the 1980s, takes the central role in entertaining thriller Catch Me If You Can.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Patrick Duffy (Daniel Corban) and Linda Purl (Elizabeth Corban) in Catch Me If You Can.Patrick Duffy (Daniel Corban) and Linda Purl (Elizabeth Corban) in Catch Me If You Can. (Image: © Jack Merriman 2022)

Not to be confused with the 2002 crime caper movie of the same name starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, this is a new production of the classic Broadway comedy thriller by Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert.

A whodunnit with plenty of red herrings and twists, Catch Me If You Can opens at the Cambridge Arts Theatre on Monday, May 23 and runs until Saturday, May 28.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Patrick Duffy (Daniel Corban) and Gray O' Brien (Inspector Levine) in Catch Me If You Can.Patrick Duffy (Daniel Corban) and Gray O' Brien (Inspector Levine) in Catch Me If You Can. (Image: Jack Merriman)

Adapted from French writer Robert Thomas’ play Trap for a Lonely Man, Dallas legend Patrick Duffy and real-life partner Linda Purl (Happy Days, Homeland) star alongside Gray O’Brien (Peak Practice, Coronation Street).

Inspector Levine (O’Brien) is called to a house in the remote Catskill mountains to investigate the disappearance of newly married Elizabeth Corban (Purl).

Saffron Walden Reporter: Gray O' Brien (Inspector Levine), Patrick Duffy ( Daniel Corban) and Linda Purl (Elizabeth Corban) in Catch Me If You Can.Gray O' Brien (Inspector Levine), Patrick Duffy ( Daniel Corban) and Linda Purl (Elizabeth Corban) in Catch Me If You Can. (Image: Jack Merriman)

But when a woman claiming to be the missing Elizabeth suddenly turns up, her husband Daniel (Duffy) seems surprised, and the plot develops more twists than a corkscrew.

Duffy is an American actor and director known to audiences around the world for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime drama Dallas, from 1978 to 1985 and from 1986 to 1991.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Patrick Duffy as Daniel Corban in Catch Me If You Can, which can be seen at Cambridge Arts Theatre.Patrick Duffy as Daniel Corban in Catch Me If You Can, which can be seen at Cambridge Arts Theatre. (Image: Jack Merriman)

On top of this iconic role, he has also appeared in dramas such as Man from Atlantis, Step By Step and The Bold and the Beautiful, and made his West End debut as Serge in the award-winning West End production of Art.

Linda Purl has appeared on screen in many roles, including Fonzie’s girlfriend Ashley in Happy Days, Helene in the American version of The Office, and Elizabeth Gaines in Homeland.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Patrick Duffy (Daniel Corban) and Linda Purl (Elizabeth Corban) in Catch Me If You Can.Patrick Duffy (Daniel Corban) and Linda Purl (Elizabeth Corban) in Catch Me If You Can. (Image: © Jack Merriman 2022)

Her stage appearances include playing roles such as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, and Rosemary Clooney in Tenderly at the New Vic, Santa Barbara.

Gray O’Brien is best known for his portrayal of the villainous Tony Gordon in Coronation Street, Dr Tom Deneley in Peak Practice, and as Dr Richard McCraig in Casualty.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Gray O' Brien (Inspector Levine) and Patrick Duffy (Daniel Corban) in Catch Me If You Can.Gray O' Brien (Inspector Levine) and Patrick Duffy (Daniel Corban) in Catch Me If You Can. (Image: Jack Merriman)

He has also performed on the West End, in Sleuth at the Apollo Theatre.

If you want to catch the suspense thriller in Cambridge, tickets cost £25 to £45. All ticket prices include a £3 per-ticket booking fee.

Performances Monday to Saturday are at 7.30pm, and there are matinees at 2.30pm on the Thursday and Saturday. There's a BSL interpreted performance on Wednesday, May 25 at 7.30pm.

Call the box office on 01223 503333 or book online at www.cambridgeartstheatre.com