D.e.a.t.h in Paradise legend teases ‘dark’ new role after quitting BBC drama
Former D.e.a.t.h in Paradise star Ralf Little opened up about his new project on Monday's episode of The One Show
D.e.a.t.h in Paradise legend Ralf Little has teased his “dark” new role after quitting the BBC drama. The 45-year-old actor notably played Detective Inspector Neville Parker in the hit crime series, which centres around crime on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie.
Neville joined the Saint Marie police team in 2020, taking over from DI Jack Mooney (Ardal O’Hanlon). His tenure as Detective Inspector saw him face many ups and downs, including overcoming his allergies and aversions to the sun, and even an attempt to frame him for m.u.r.d.e.r.
Fans were therefore left devastated when the longest-serving detective announced his departure from the show in 2024, with EastEnders star Don Gilet soon announced as his replacement.
Almost two years on from his exit, actor Ralf has now landed an exciting new role playing the lead in a new stage adaptation of John le Carré’s 1963 spy thriller, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.
Ralf Little played Neville Parker in D.e.a.t.h in Paradise (Image: BBC)
The story centres around Alec Leamas, a British intelligence officer who is sent to East Germany during the Cold War as a faux defector to sow disinformation about a powerful East German intelligence officer. Ralf will take on the role of Alec in the upcoming UK tour, which sees the first ever theatre production of any John le Carré novel.
The show will have a six-month run across 21 venues around the country, beginning on 12th March in Leicester and concluding at the end of August.
Ralf appeared on BBC’s The One Show on Monday (February 2), where he spoke to hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp about his character’s “high-stakes” mission.
“[Alec] is sort of exhausted by the job, he’s a spymaster. People under his care, one by one, his friends, colleagues and people he’s supposed to be looking after are captured and killed by the other side. He’s exhausted, mentally, morally and physically exhausted,” Ralf explained.
“He comes back to the UK and is persuaded by the top brass to go on one final mission to essentially track down and get revenge on the man who captured and eliminated all his friends and colleagues.”
The star has landed a new role (Image: BBC)
The actor then quipped: “So, it’s really dark and gritty. It’s James Bond without any of the sexy, fun stuff. Without any of the glamour, without any of the gadgets. The only reason I wanted to do it is I thought I might get a jet pack or an Aston Martin – I get none of that.”
Ralf went on: “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold was about the moral compass of what espionage is at its heart, and the end goal and what you have to achieve, and the moral compromises that have to be made along the way. I think that le Carré talked about the fact that a lot of people in real life – because he was in the espionage game – find themselves after retirement really unable to integrate because of the things they had to do and see.
“And that’s where Alec Leamas is. He’s out and he’s had enough, and he’s persuaded to go back for one more round.”
The actor concluded: “It astonishes me that it’s never been done on stage before because it is so perfect for the stage, and it’s got so much dark, gritty [elements]. The way it’s going to be staged [has] so many twists in the tale. I can’t wait to get started.”
D.e.a.t.h in Paradise is available to stream on BBC iPlayer
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