EastEnders favourite Adam Woodyatt is being lined up to star in Cheryl’s West End hit show.
The soap stalwart, who is on a hiatus from Albert Square as Ian Beale, is in talks to appear in thriller 2:22: A Ghost Story.
He’ll be following in the footsteps of Walford alumni Jake Wood, who is currently starring alongside Girls Aloud star Cheryl.
Jake, who played Max Branning in the BBC1 soap, said: “Ian would be fabulous in 2:22. He has said to me he’d love to do it and hopefully, he’ll get his turn. It’s such a fun one to do.
“It’s quite a remarkable play – probably the best I’ve ever read or been in – and the fact they can reinvent it with new cast means people will come back again and again.”
Adam, 54, played downtrodden Ian Beale in EastEnders for 36 years.
He walked away from the soap in 2021 but the door has been left open for him to return.
Earlier this year, he made a surprise appearance at Dot Cotton’s funeral but is currently starring as Alfred Doolittle in a UK stage tour of My Fair Lady. Sources say it has reignited Adam’s passion for theatre and he has hinted that he’d love to appear in one more show before returning to Walford.
An insider said: “Adam really fancies another stage play. He’s loved treading the boards with My Fair Lady, which ends in April, and 2:22 Ghost Story is a potential fit.” Bagging Adam would be a big coup for Ghost Story bosses.
Critics initially questioned the decision to bring in celebrities like Cheryl, 39, Lily Allen, 37, Laura Whitmore, 37, and Matt Willis, 39, instead of distinguished West End actors.
But their approach has paid off, with the Lyric Theatre in London filled most nights and the show gaining rave reviews.
Speaking about a return to Walford last September, Adam said cryptically: “The door is open, but the door is also open for opportunities elsewhere as well.”
Soap sources say a return to Albert Square is definitely on the cards for Adam, but it is not believed to be imminent.
Cheryl and Jake star alongside Scott Karim and Louise Ford in the supernatural thriller at London’s Lyric Theatre until April 23. See 222aghoststory.com
