SECRETS of the Vatican City will be revealed when David Suchet returns to Malvern.

No longer sporting the waxed moustache of Hercule Poirot, Suchet is to star in The Last Confession, an incisive thriller that delves into the dark chambers of the Papal residence.

A story that Suchet was immediately smitten with.

"It's one of the best new plays I've ever read" he said. "It was a pleasure to come across a new play with more than four characters, the dialogue is excellent and I was very drawn to the subject matter.

"I remember the death of John Paul I and I remember the conspiracy theories about what might have happened.

"More importantly, I was fascinated by the complexities of my character. He was very tough, he was a skilled politician and he was a very strong liberal. Yet he was also full of doubt about his faith and he was only too aware of his pride and of his unchristian desire for revenge."

The Last Confession begins is set in 1978. Just 33 days after John Paul I, a little known Cardinal from Venice, is elected as Pope he is dead.

With no official investigation, no autopsy and the Vatican press release about the cause of the death found to be, in large part, false, only Cardinal Benilli (played by Suchet) can uncover the truth.

Suchet is a firm believer in research and trying to understand what makes a character tick.

In preparation for The Last Confession he spent some time in Rome and went on retreat with a group of Benedictine monks.

"Rome is a city that is full of Catholicism and is a city that revolves around the Vatican," he said.

"You get an acute sense of the power wielded by the Catholic Church and of how people are subject to that power. I went on retreat, partially because Benelli would also have done so but also to re-discover my interior self again.

"I wanted to cut myself off completely from this cynical, secular world where we're all obsessed by our pension plans, by our gym membership and by our efforts to avoid paying too much tax.

"We don't look after our souls and yet we think we know it all.

"By going on retreat, my soul is liberated and I feel a greater connection with Benelli. At the same time, I'm playing a part and not giving a lecture. I leave my research in the dressing-room before I step on stage."

The Last Concession runs from Monday, June 11 to Saturday, June 16.

For tickets, priced £18 - £26, call the box office on 01684 892277 or visit www.malvern-theatres.co.uk.